JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The 28-year-old driver of a car was killed in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 295 early Tuesday morning after colliding with a charter bus carrying minor league baseball players from Tennessee.
Interstate 295 northbound near Pritchard Road was closed for hours while the Florida Highway Patrol investigated the 4:25 a.m. crash.
The FHP says a Martz charter bus carrying the Elizabethton Twins, a rookie minor league team affiliated with the Minnesota Twins, struck a black Honda Civic that was going the wrong way on I-295 northbound, just north of Pritchard.
"At that point as the vehicles were coming closer together, they took evasive action to the grass shoulder and contact occurred," said FHP Sgt. Dylan Bryan.
Corshane Brown (pictured, right), the driver of the Civic, died at the scene.
None of the 34 people on the bus were hurt.
IMAGES: FHP responds to wreck of car, charter bus
Investigators say speed and alcohol could be factors in the crash.
Philip Garypie, 60, of Lehigh Acres, was driving the bus.
"The investigation will reveal [whether the bus driver will be charged], but at this time we are not looking at any charges to the bus driver yet," Bryan said.
All I-295 northbound lanes remained closed at the Pritchard Road exit until just after 8 a.m.
State troopers said the baseball team was traveling from Fort Myers. The team is set to open its season Thursday night.
They were transferred to a second bus to continue on with their trip.
Brown was a father and manager for Watson Realty.
"Our feelings go out, our thoughts go out to the family of that driver, but we're also very thankful that this wasn't any worse for that matter," Bryan said.