Iowa women's basketball recruit, family seriously injured after being hit by vehicle
An Iowa basketball recruit and her family were hospitalized and seriously injured after they were hit by a car in downtown Louisville on Tuesday night, according to the Louisville Courier Journal.
Ava Jones, her younger brother and their two parents, Amy and Trey Jones, were hit just before 8 p.m. when a car left the road and struck the family. The two adults were in critical condition as of Wednesday morning, per the report, and Ava was considered “serious but stable.” The younger brother was treated for “minor injuries.”
The alleged driver of the vehicle, Michael Hurley, was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree assault, driving under the influence and a license possession violation.
Police said Hurley, 33, was turning left when his car left the road and hit the family on the sidewalk. Alcohol was not considered a factor in the crash, but police said Hurley admitted to taking hydrocodone and that he was “so tired that he could not make the turn.”
Ava and her family were in town from Nickerson, Kansas, for the Run 4 the Roses AAU basketball tournament with Wheat State Elite. Ava averaged 20.8 points and 15.4 rebounds per game last season at Nickerson High School, and led her team to a fourth place finish in the state 3A tournament. She is listed as the No. 83rd recruit in the class of 2023 by ESPN.
Ava initially committed to Arizona State, but changed her mind after Sun Devils coach Charli Turner Thorne retired earlier this year. She committed to the Hawkeyes on Sunday.
