Pregnant Coach Dies in Horrifying Bus Crash and Every Mom's Heart Breaks

A 30-year-old lacrosse coach who was pregnant with her second child died in a bus crash as her college team was on its way to a game. It's a tragedy that makes every mom feel like weeping.

Kristina Quigley, a coach of Seton Hill University's lacrosse team, was the only passenger of 23 to die when the bus slid off the Pennsylvania Turnpike and slammed into a tree early Saturday morning. The 61-year-old driver was also killed.

The college girls' team was on its way to play a game at Millersville University. Quigley, who was six months pregnant and has a young son, was flown to the hospital but died later of her injuries. And honestly, just writing this story makes my eyes fill with tears and my heart break for this woman with so much ahead of her, for her family, and for her unborn baby -- who never had the chance to live.

Any woman who's been pregnant knows what an amazing, emotional time those nine months are. Even if it's your second baby, as it was in Quigley's case, you still feel some of the same excitement, joy, and nervousness you experienced when you were expecting your first child. Your body goes through tremendous changes, and so do you. You grow -- literally and figuratively -- in ways you could never quite have dreamed of before. Pregnancy really does make you appreciate the miracle of life.

To have that all taken away in an instant is just beyond devastating. I can't even imagine what Quigley's husband, little boy, and other family and friends are going through right now. And for what? A senseless car crash that should never have happened and could probably have been avoided.

There's no word yet on the cause of the accident and whether driver error or weather or something else was to blame. The bus company, Mlaker Charter & Tours, had reportedly been up to date on all safety inspections, including checks on that specific vehicle and driver, but authorities are still investigating.

Does it really matter, though? Quigley and her unborn child are gone. Her family's lives will never be the same. I think one reason this has hit me so hard is that I, too, am pregnant with my second baby and have an older child, a little girl, at home. In that way, I was in her shoes. And a random tragedy like this could happen to any one of us. My heart feels so heavy for Quigley's husband and son and other loved ones right now. There truly are no words.

Do you have any comforting words for this pregnant coach's family? How does news like this affect you?

Source: http://thestir.cafemom.com/pregnancy/152671/pregnant_coach_dies_in_horrifying?utm_medium=sm&utm_source=rss&utm_content=pregnancy_rssfeed

heart shaped box lucid 2012 ncaa tournament bracket matterhorn chris harrison girl scouts printable bracket