GREEN RIVER — Vandals broke into and destroyed a Green River Knights team bus in an act that resulted in thousands of dollars in damage, while leaving the team without a working vehicle to transport players.
Coach Kole Marquez said about 10 windows on the bus were completely shattered. Glass was scattered throughout the interior, and first-aid kits on board had been ransacked, with bandages and ibuprofen strewn across the bus.
Marquez said the vandals appeared to have pried open the driver’s side door after finding it locked, then damaged the windows with an unknown object, possibly bats or rocks.
“It just sucks because we ask so much from the community, and we’re a nonprofit organization,” Marquez said.
Marquez said this wasn’t the first time the team’s buses have been vandalized, with a previous incident occurring a couple of years ago.
The Knights travel throughout the region, including trips to Idaho and Montana, and the team relies on the bus to transport players and families who could not otherwise afford to travel to games. Another bus in the fleet went through four transmissions and is no longer usable.
Marquez said there are some security cameras at the location, but is not confident footage will help identify a suspect. He said the team plans to install additional cameras and work with the city to secure a location for the bus going forward.
The team’s regular season has ended, and it is hosting the Division II State tournament, meaning the bus is not needed for travel for the remainder of the year.
Marquez estimated the vandalism caused well over $1,000 in damage, noting the bus’s tinted, double-paned windows are costly to replace.
The team is considering fundraising efforts to help pay for repairs or a replacement bus. Marquez said a reliable used bus can cost around $20,000, while a newer bus large enough to hold the team comfortably can run about $80,000.
“We just know we live in a great community,” Marquez said. “There are crappy people here that do bad things, but the majority of us are good people.”
