Tragedy Strikes ISU as Basketball Coach and Athletic Director are Killed in Plane Crash

Authorities report is was a particularly foggy day when the small plane carrying 7 passengers and crew crashed outside of Bloomington Illinois killing all aboard. They would not release a list of the passengers, but an email to ISU athletic staff and players confirmed that Illinois State University Associate Head Coach Torrey Ward and Deputy Athletics Director Aaron Leetch were among those killed in the crash.

Also killed was Terry Stralow, owner of Pub II, a popular sports bar in Bloomington and Scott Bittner, owner of a meat packaging plan in the community and owner of the twin engine Cessna 414 that crashed.

The victims leave behind spouses, children, and many family members with co-workers and players pledging to “be there for the families”. Many people have begun bringing flowers to the athletics department and the downtown bar, leaving them as memorials to the lost. The plane’s wreckage is being studied by local authorities and the FAA to determine what caused the accident.

The plane lost contact with the nearest radio tower at 12:15am. The Bloomington Airport was closed, but the runway was illuminated and aircraft are permitted to land 24 hours a day.