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Taylor man among 4 killed in North Carolina bus crash

Published  September 19, 2016 9:45am EDT
News
FOX 2 Detroit
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TAYLOR, Mich. (WJBK) - "He was going to be playing wide receiver, running back, strong safety. He was so so excited."

Kesha Gibson speaks fondly of her son Devonte Gibson, 21, who had big dreams of one day playing in the NFL.

Gibson grew up in Taylor and is one of the four people killed in a bus crash Saturday afternoon on Interstate 74 near Hamlet, North Carolina. He attended a school in South Carolina where he played football.

He and his teammates were traveling from Rock Hill, South Carolina to Fayetteville, North Carolina when police say the left front tire on the bus blew, causing the vehicle to crash into the median guardrail and the bridge.

"You know, when they said he passed, they said he was sitting in the front seat with the coach," said Gibson's uncle Jason. "I could just see him getting ready for the game. Going over what's going on, sitting in the front seat with the coach. Preparation. Excited. That's who he was."

Gibson's mother went on to say, "Right before his game Saturday, he called me at 12 at night, and he was so excited and it was weird because he never called me that late." She continued saying, "I asked him 'Are you scared?' He said, 'No, I'm more anxious and ready to get in there and do what I'm supposed to do.'"

Gibson's mother says she is a woman of faith, and that's why she is keeping her spirits up.

"God took one of the good ones, and he was a chosen one. I'm going to miss my baby, God only knows how much I'm going to miss my baby, but he was a great young man."

Devonte Gibson leaves behind a daughter who will be turning 3 years old.

Investigators say three other people died in the crash. The other victims were the 43-year-old bus driver, a 19-year-old football player and the coach's 10-year-old son.

Forty two other people were taken to area hospitals for treatment.

Gibson's family has created a GoFundMe account in hopes of raising the money to return his remains to Michigan. If you'd like to make a donation, you can do so online here.