Ava Jones, a rising high school senior from Kansas who verbally committed to Iowa's women's basketball team Sunday, was seriously injured along with her parents when they were struck by a car in Louisville on Tuesday night.
The family was there for the Run 4 the Roses girls' basketball tournament, in which Jones was playing with her club team. They were hit when the vehicle drove on to a sidewalk. The driver who struck them, Michael Hurley, was charged with four counts of first-degree assault and driving under the influence. He told police he had recently taken the drug Hydrocodone.
Jones was reported to be in serious condition, and her parents, Amy and Trey Jones, in critical condition. A child reported to be Jones' younger brother was treated for minor injuries. According to Billy Watson of the Hutchinson News in Kansas, Jones' grandmother said Jones was expected to recover, although her injuries have not been made public.
«Right now, all we can do is say the family needs prayers,» Aaron Johnson, Jones' AAU coach, told ESPN via text message Wednesday.
Jones, a 6-foot-2 wing player, is No. 83 on the ESPN HoopGurlz top 100 prospects list for the class of 2023. She averaged 20.8 points, 15.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season for Nickerson High School in Kansas.
Jones initially committed to Arizona State, but re-opened her recruiting after longtime Sun Devils coach Charli Turner Thorne retired in March. Jones announced her commitment to Iowa on social media Sunday. Since she has not signed with the Hawkeyes, the school could not comment on Jones' condition, an Iowa spokesman told ESPN.
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