ROME, Ga. — Heather McPherson took a photo of her son alongside his teammates, praying for a Rome High School football scrimmage on Thursday night. The photo has been making its rounds on social media and was captured just hours before a near tragedy would strike.
Late Thursday night, over 10 Rome High School students were injured when their school bus overturned after a collision with another vehicle. One of those students was McPherson's son, who got a call from the high school quarterback just moments after the crash happened.
“He just started yelling that there was a very bad accident, and the last thing we heard was him yelling for his teammates to try to help," McPherson said.
According to Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center, there were 15 total people hurt in the crash, with three being adults. They were all discharged. Officials said that the students were coming back home from a scrimmage at Rockmart High School.
The crash happened around 10:45 p.m. on Highway 101, near Old Rome Road and Doc Moats Road. The impact caused the bus to roll over and become entangled in power lines, complicating rescue efforts for first responders.
The mother of three and trauma nurse said she could hear her son, Aiden, helping his teammates just like he does on the field.
“He was trying to help them get off the bus because they were having to maneuver themselves out of the top exits and just different areas because the bus had flipped," McPherson added.
On Friday night, as her son recovers with only a few bumps and bruises, she finds herself reflecting on that photo she captured earlier in the night.
"Who knew what powerful meaning that photo was going to have and what it would mean at the end of the night.”
McPherson shared that while they were gathered at the hospital Thursday evening, there was support from coaches, school staff and other families.
“The community of coaches, teammates, and administrators waiting in the waiting room, sitting outside, just socializing and asking whether this person was OK and this person was OK," McPherson said. "(It) was an incredible show of support."