Charter bus for youth singers crashes on US 287 in Fort Worth; nearly 60 injured
.jpeg "A Facebook post on Friday showing the scene inside a charter bus that crashed into a truck on U.S. 287 in northwest Fort Worth.")
Multiple people were injured on Friday when a charter bus carrying a Christian youth choir from Colorado crashed into the back of an 18-wheeler on U.S. 287 in Fort Worth.
The bus carrying the Singing Youth of Denver crashed shortly before noon in the southbound lanes of U.S. 287, north of I-35W, near Bonds Ranch Road.
Something caused the truck driver in front of the bus to slam on the brakes, the co-director of the choir, Kyle Roberts, told the Star-Telegram. The bus driver reacted “incredibly quick,” Roberts said.
The driver had to be extricated and was the only person taken to a hospital as a result of the crash, Roberts said. A representative of the bus company said the driver was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
According to Facebook posts, a parent of members of the Singing Youth of Denver said that several children had minor injuries like “cuts and bruises.”
The Singing Youth of Denver left Thursday to travel by bus to a Houston church as part of an annual tour. A 7 p.m. Friday performance at Memorial Church of Christ was canceled.
“Unfortunately, the bus carrying the Singing Youth of Denver was involved in an accident just outside of Fort Worth,” the church posted on social media. “There were no real injuries except to the driver and those seem to be relatively minor. However, the bus was damaged significantly. We are very sorry but thankful that the injuries were not more severe. We hope to reschedule another concert in the future.”
The bus company, Colorado-based Royalty Coach Charters, quickly provided alternate transportation to members of the choir, and scheduled performances in Arlington and Weatherford will continue this weekend, Roberts said.
“We just thank God that He was watching over us on His trip and has allowed us to continue,” Roberts said. “Our bus driver did a fantastic job of keeping us safe.”
The acappella gospel chorus, founded more than 50 years ago, sings for 15,000 people annually. Its members are seventh- to 12th-graders, and it is part of Parker Church of Christ in Parker, a suburb southeast of Denver.
This section of U.S. 287, a four-lane divided highway, typically backs up throughout the day as traffic approaches Interstate 35W. A major expansion of the U.S. 287 corridor is planned that would add a lane in each direction and widen the frontage roads.
Royalty Coach Charters is based in Fort Collins, Colorado, and operates in all 48 continental states. Its website says its coaches can each carry as many as 56 passengers.
The company appears to have been involved in no injury crashes in 2023 and 2024, according to federal data. Information on its earlier safety history was not immediately available. It has operated since 2011.
Staff writer Emerson Clarridge contributed to this story.
This story was originally published April 25, 2025 at 1:40 PM.
