Pelicans’ game postponed after Mudcats’ bus crash; injuries prove minor

Several members of the Carolinas Mudcats organization were hospitalized for a time, but released, after the team’s bus wrecked on a Columbus County road early Tuesday while en route from Salem, Va., for a three-game series against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

“We’re obviously very fortunate,” said Joe Kremer, vice president and general manager of the Mudcats. No players had broken bones, and all had arrived in Myrtle Beach on Tuesday afternoon, Pelicans President and General Manager Andy Milovich said.

Tuesday night’s game against the Pelicans was postponed, and the Carolina League website said no makeup date had been scheduled. Kremer said a series in early June might be an opportunity for a doubleheader to make up the game.

With the game being moved, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans staged a free event featuring the Pelicans Travel Baseball Club, a youth team, in an intrasquad game and provided the usual Tuesday promotional specials.

“When we started talking about likelihood of the game being [postponed] we started thinking about the fans from out of town who might have no idea that it had been [postponed] or why it had been [postponed],” Milovich said about staging the unique event. “We knew that with many of them being from out of town and likely not following the local media or following us on social media that they might not know.

“We decided we would work on some ideas to allow them to enjoy an evening out at the ballpark if they made their way to our place.”

The bus transporting the Mudcats, owned by Abbott Trailways Passenger Bus, was westbound on Clarendon Chadbourn Road near Whiteville when it ran off the right side of a curve, hit a ditch and turned on its side about 3:45 a.m., State Highway Patrol Sgt. Michael Baker said.

Troopers said seven people who complained of minor pains from the crash were taken to Columbus County Regional Hospital.

Kremer said he had been told the bus was following a detour on an unfamiliar route when the crash happened.

There were about 30 players and Mudcats staff on the bus, troopers reported, and the ones not hurt were taken on a county school bus to the county Emergency Operations Center in Whiteville.

“Some guys will probably have to not play for a few days,” but the team should be back to normal quickly, Kremer said.

Meanwhile, Milovich said showcasing the Pelicans Travel Club was a no-brainer.

“It was a natural idea to provide a meaningful experience for the kids and a backdrop of entertainment for fans to come out to the ballpark,” he said.

The series is expected to begin at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, and Milovich was relieved to hear that there were no major injuries from the crash.

“It looks like all the injuries are relatively minor and everybody should be fine,” Milovich said.

Anyone who had tickets or vouchers for Tuesday’s game can exchange them for a ticket of equal or lesser value to any future Pelicans regular-season game during the 2015 regular season or beyond, subject to availability.

The Sun News staff contributed to this report.

This story was originally published May 12, 2015 at 3:55 PM with the headline "Pelicans’ game postponed after Mudcats’ bus crash; injuries prove minor."