Wife, daughter of Wisconsin assistant coach killed in wrong-way driver crash

The wife and daughter of the University of Wisconsin's men's assistant basketball coach Howard Moore were killed Saturday in a crash involving a wrong-way driver on M-14, sources say. 

The crash involving three vehicles occurred at 2:04 a.m. Saturday on the highway near Ford Road, said Michigan State Police Lt. Darren Green. 

Update: University mourns loss of coach's wife, daughter; wrong-way driver ID'd

MSP's preliminary investigation indicated a wrong-way driver, a 23-year-old woman from Ann Arbor, was heading west in the eastbound lanes of M-14 when she struck the Moores' vehicle head-on.

Sunday morning, the Brighton post of the Michigan State Police identified the wrong-way driver as Samantha Winchester, 23, of Ann Arbor. Winchester was pronounced dead at the scene and toxicology reports are pending.

Moore's daughter, Jaidyn, was also pronounced dead at the scene. Moore's wife, Jennifer, who was driving their car and was not at fault, was taken off of life support and died Saturday afternoon.

Moore and his son, Jerell, were also in the vehicle when it was hit head-on. They are being treated at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. 

The crash closed the eastbound lanes of M-14 for several hours before it reopened at 8:45 a.m. Saturday, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Green said the crash is under investigation awaiting autopsies, toxicology and a report from the MSP Traffic Crash Reconstructionists.

Driver Brian Kinross said he dodged the wrong-way driver at 2:03 a.m. and called 911 as he was heading east on M-14 towards Livonia. 

"I witnessed the collision into the cars behind me a quarter mile or so back in my rear and sideview mirrors," Kinross told The News. "A large fireball erupted as the driver collided into the car it struck head-on."

Kinross said the driver had ample time after passing him to have recognized she was heading the wrong direction.

"She continued traveling at a high rate of speed until colliding with the group of cars behind me," he said. "... I immediately pulled over and dialed 911."

Howard Moore is a Wisconsin alum and has spent 19 years coaching collegiate teams. He rejoined the men's basketball program in December 2015 for his second stint as an assistant coach for the Badgers, according to his bio with the team. He served his ninth season this year on the Wisconsin bench under head coach Greg Gard.

Before returning to his alma mater, he spent five seasons as head coach in his hometown of Chicago. 

The news prompted an outpouring of sorrow and support for Moore on social media.