HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

Greenleaf coach Loma Bittick killed in crash before district championship game

JOHN WUSTROW jwustrow@idahopress.com Feb 10, 2023 Updated Feb 10, 2023

Greenleaf Friends Academy is mourning the loss of a coach who was killed in a car accident Thursday before her team’s district championship game. ... Loma Bittick died due to injuries suffered in the crash while on her way to pick up the Greenleaf girls basketball team to take the Grizzlies to their scheduled game against Liberty Charter at Columbia High, Greenleaf Athletic Director Nate Freeman told the Idaho Press. She was the head volleyball coach at Greenleaf and also volunteered with the girls basketball team, which her husband, Jim, is the head coach of. Loma Bittick was 65. {snip} Jim Bittick was also injured in the crash and is in the hospital in stable condition.

According to an Idaho State Police news, which Freeman confirmed was regarding the crash that killed Loma Bittick, the crash happened at approximately 5:15 p.m. at the corner of Friends Road and Lower Pleasant Ridge Road, a block south of the school.

Police say a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta traveling westbound on Lower Pleasant Ridge Road, driven by an unidentified 27-year-old male from Meridian, failed to yield at a stop sign and hit a 2014 Ford F150 pickup driving north on Friends Road by Jim Bittick, with Loma as a passenger. Both Bitticks were ejected from the vehicle and Loma died after being taken to the hospital.

The driver of the Volkswagen was also taken to the hospital, with the extent of his injuries unclear. Police say none of the three was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.

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