UW assistant coach Howard Moore, his wife Jennifer, and two kids were involved in a head-on collision in Michigan early Saturday morning. (WDIV / video screenshot)
The University of Wisconsin campus community is grieving after news that the wife and daughter of assistant men’s basketball coach Howard Moore were k*illed in a Michigan car c*rash over the weekend.
According to p*olice, Moore’s wife, Jennifer, and their 9-year-old daughter, Jaidyn, were k*illed Saturday in a head-on collision on the M-14 highway in Washtenaw County’s Superior Township, just outside of Ann Arbor.
The family’s dog also d*ied in the a*ccident, Michigan State P*olice said.
“On behalf of the @MichStatePolice, our heartfelt condolences to the entire UW Badger family during this e*xtremely difficult time,” the agency said in a statement posted to Twitter.
Moore, his wife and their two kids were travelling eastbound on the Detroit-area freeways when they were struck by a driver going the wrong way. The wrong-way motorist, 23-year-old Samantha Winchester of Ann Arbor, d*ied at the scene, as did Moore’s daughter, authorities said.
Moore’s wife was airlifted to a local h*ospital, where she was taken off life support Sunday.
Moore suffered third-degree b*urns in the c*rash, while his 13-year-old son, Jerell, suffered minor i*njuries.
The university tweeted Monday that Jerell had been released from the h*ospital and into the care of relatives, adding that Moore, who was in stable condition in the ICU, was “up and walking” at the h*ospital.
Head basketball coach Greg Gard reacted to the news Sunday, saying the university is “d*evastated” over the family’s loss.
“Howard is so much more than a colleague and coach,” the coach said in a statement. “He and Jen and their children are dear friends to everyone they meet. Their positivity and energy lift up those around them.”
“We will miss Jen and Jaidyn dearly and we will put our arms around Howard and Jerell and the entire family, giving them love and support during this unspeakable time,” he added.
The university also issued a statement this week, calling Howard Moore a “t*errific ambassador” for UW over the past 30 years and promising to “support and lift up the entire Moore and Barnes families.”
Howard, a native of Chicago played at Wisconsin from 1990-95 and returned to as an assistant coach at his alma mater after spending five seasons as head coach at the University of Illinois at Chicago, according to CNN.
“Howard Moore isn’t one of the good ones,” Brian Hamilton,
senior writer for The Athletic, tweeted. “He’s one of the GREAT ones. This is such t*errible news and all you can do is send your thoughts to him, his loved ones and the extended Badgers hoops family.”
UW athletic director Barry Alvarez lauded Howard as an “an incredible representative of our athletic department and a positive influence on everyone around him.”
“I’ve known Howard ever since he was a student-athlete at Wisconsin and gotten to know his wonderful family through the years,” Alvarez said in a statement. “We are truly heart-broken for his family and will be doing everything possible to help him through this tragic time. Our prayers, love and support go out to the Moore and Barnes [Jennifer Moore’s] family.”
Watch more in the video below.