Nine Gar-Field football players were sidelined for Thursday's season opener at Potomac High School after they were involved in a head-on collision in Woodbridge.
The players declined medical care at the crash scene on Smoketown Road adjacent to the entrance to Gar-Field, authorities said.
Gar-Field activities director Rudy Zimmermann said that though the students appeared unhurt, school officials were taking the extra precaution of holding them out of the game.
"They were all cleared by rescue squad emergency medical technicians on site," Zimmermann said of the players. "Although they were cleared, it would be irresponsible for us to put them on the field. Most of the players are starters, and they may have [injuries] that don't show up in cursory exams.
"They will be out until they can have full evaluations," he added. "They probably won't be able to be looked at until at least Monday."
The players were in two cars -- a green Ford Thunderbird and a black Toyota -- and were waiting to turn left from Smoketown Road into the school parking lot, said Prince William County police Officer J.E. Piersol.
They were returning from a team meal at Outback Steakhouse, their traditional pre-game stop.
Then, just before 4 p.m., an eastbound black BMW 750 Li crossed over into the westbound lanes, striking the Thunderbird, Piersol said.
The driver of the BMW was identified as 39-year-old Wes Stearns, a local real-estate agent and son of
veteran Realtor Mo Wilson.
Stearns was unconscious when authorities arrived at the scene, Piersol said, but regained consciousness before he was flown to an area hospital to ensure that his injuries weren't serious.
Stearns may have blacked out while driving, Piersol said.
He noted that there were no skid marks at the scene, which would have suggested a driver who did not try to break before a collision.
"He said he had just come back from getting an allergy shot," Piersol said of Stearns.
The crash tied up traffic for about a half-hour.
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