Wisconsin assistant basketball coach Howard Moore and his son are expected to recover from injuries they suffered in a three-car crash that killed his wife and daughter, the university said Sunday morning in a statement.
The crash occurred just after 2 a.m. Saturday near Ann Arbor, Mich. The coach’s wife, 46-year-old Jennifer, and their daughter, 9-year-old Jaidyn, were killed, and Moore and their son, Jerell, 13, were admitted to University of Michigan Hospital.
The family dog also died in the crash, People reported Sunday.
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“The Badgers athletics community is a tight-knit family and Howard has been a terrific ambassador for Wisconsin for nearly 30 years, dating back to days as a UW student athlete,” according to the University of Wisconsin’s statement. “Our hearts are with Howard and Jerell and we, as a community, will support and lift up the entire Moore and Barnes families.”
“Howard is so much more than a colleague and coach,” head coach Greg Gard said in the 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.”
Police said the Moores’ vehicle was hit head-on by a car traveling west in the eastbound lanes of the M-14 highway. Jennifer was driving the family vehicle, and police said she had no fault in the accident.
The alleged wrong-way driver was identified by police as 23-year-old Samantha Winchester, who was pronounced dead at the scene. A toxicology report is pending.
Howard Moore, 46, appeared in 47 games as a player for the Badgers from 1990-95 and just finished his 20th season in college coaching. He was on the Wisconsin staff of former coach Bo Ryan from 2005-10, then left to take the head coaching position at Illinois-Chicago. After five seasons there, he returned to Wisconsin under Gard in 2015.
Since news of the crash spread, tributes to the family have flooded social media from throughout college basketball. The most poignant message, however, is the one Moore posted two weeks ago for Mother’s Day.
His Twitter message has four photos to go with this note:
“Happy Mother’s Day to my outstanding wife, @queenjen29 and thank you for that you do for our family! #Blessed #MothersDay”
―Field Level Media