Authorities in Iowa have identified 19-year-old Carter Johnson, an outfielder from Rapid City, South Dakota, as the sole fatality of a bus crash that injured 32 other members of a community college baseball team.

According to the Associated Press via MyNorthwest, the crash occurred Wednesday near Twin Lakes, Iowa, about 85 miles northwest of Des Moines. The bus, carrying the Iowa Lakes Community College baseball team, left the roadway for reasons still under investigation and overturned in a roadside ditch.

Iowa State Patrol Lt. Aaron Smidt stated that student-athletes traveling in a vehicle behind the bus administered CPR to Johnson before first responders arrived. Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene. Smidt described the incident as a “pretty violent collision.”

All 32 remaining occupants of the bus were injured, with three of them airlifted for medical treatment in the Des Moines area. Officials report their conditions as stable and recovering.

Troy Larson, the college’s athletic director, described Johnson as “a great teammate, a friend, and a valued member of our athletic community,” noting his positive impact both on and off the field.

The team had been en route to scheduled games at North Arkansas College in Harrison, Arkansas. Larson said discussions on how the team will continue their season will take place in the coming weeks as the players and staff recover physically and emotionally.

Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the crash.

Why this matters: While the tragedy occurred in rural Iowa, its human impact ripples outward through small college athletic communities across the Midwest, including those in Washington state. Local schools often rely on long-distance bus transport for athletic travel—conditions that highlight the shared vulnerability and safety challenges facing student-athletes nationwide.

Source: MyNorthwest / Associated Press