Local basketball team remembers victim in deadly ambulance crash

JACKSON, Tenn. — A local basketball team is in mourning after this weekend’s deadly ambulance crash.

“We are taking it the best that we can,” said Aaron Woods, girls basketball coach at Liberty Technology Magnet High School. “It’s tough losing a player, but it’s even tougher losing a family member.”

Nyema Jackson was killed in an ambulance crash Friday night near Nashville along with the paramedic inside the ambulance. Her daughter Nyjah played basketball for Liberty Tech.

“Ms. Jackson, she played a huge part. She was always there, she always offered any type of help, and when I need her she would dive right in,” Woods said.

Nyjah was the point guard at the start of this year for the Lady Crusaders.

“Nyjah, she was awesome, man,” Woods said. “She would come in every day, work hard. She was the example of a student athlete.”

Before the accident, Nyjah moved to Arkansas with her grandparents.

Photo: Courtesy WKRN

And although Nyjah is no longer playing basketball at Liberty Tech, Coach Woods says they still have something special planned for Tuesday night’s game.

“We would like to have a moment of silence to honor Ms. Jackson,” Woods said. “I’ve also asked everyone to wear a white Nike headband, which will honor Nyjah and Ms. Jackson as well.”

Coach Woods says everyone on his team is family, and if they lose someone, then he loses someone. “They were loving people. They loved people and they didn’t mind helping anybody out,” he said.

The game starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday with the moment of silence after the national anthem.