North Idaho College men's basketball coaches were circled up near the shoulder of the Cheney-Tyler exit off Interstate 90 west of Spokane early Thursday morning, waiting for a tow truck to pull their disabled vehicle out of the right lane of the interstate.

Headed to Portland on a recruiting trip, Corey Symons, the program's head coach, had struck a deer around 4:50 a.m. in a 2016 Dodge Durango, a collision which didn't result in any injuries for the five male passengers.

But while the men waited for the tow truck driver to get the disabled Durango into neutral — the vehicle locked up upon deployment of its airbags — a westbound 2001 Jeep Cherokee driven by 23-year-old Matthew H. Seay of Deer Park, Wash., swerved to the right and struck

assistant coaches George Swanson and Chris Kemp.

"We were on the gravel about 20 feet away from the freeway and (the Jeep Cherokee) went right through the middle of us," Symons said. "I didn't hear any brakes."

Kemp, 29, was life-flighted to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane for serious injuries. Swanson, 46, was also injured and taken to Sacred Heart by ambulance.

Both men are in stable condition, according to Symons. Swanson sustained a broken arm, broken hip and broken leg and Kemp suffered head trauma.

Another assistant coach, Ameer Shamsud-din, was also hit but wasn't injured. NIC play-by-play announcer Dick Haugen was also among the group.

Symons said the impact sent Swanson airborne.

"It was crazy. I went straight into adrenaline. Two of my good buddies are face down in the dirt, and I'm hoping they're alive," Symons said. "By God's grace, they are alive. That car was going about 70 mph."

According to Washington State Patrol reports, the tow truck had its emergency lights and flashers on. Seay tried to avoid hitting the truck before swerving into the men. After cooperating with officers and showing no signs of impairment, he was able to drive away from the scene. Seay was ticketed for inattentive driving.

NIC athletic director Al Williams received the news about 5 a.m. Thursday morning after being awakened by a phone call.

"That's one of your worst fears as an AD or a parent," Williams said. "I was just thinking, 'Please don't let this be a fatality,' and we were very fortunate to not have one. You read those articles all the time (of teams) getting in fatal accidents on the road.”

NIC President Rick MacLennan released a statement about the accident.

"North Idaho College and the entire Athletics Department are deeply saddened by this tragic accident," MacLennan said. "The Cardinal community of students, employees and athletes is sending thoughts to the assistant coaches who were injured in this accident, and their families, as they begin the difficult road ahead to recovery. We will do anything we can to support them along the way."

Swanson, in his third year at NIC, had previous coaching stints at Reardan (Wash.) High School, Hardin-Simmons University and Grays Harbor Community College. This is Kemp's first year on the NIC coaching staff after coaching at the high school level in Arizona.

NIC won the Scenic West Athletic Conference last season when it finished a program-best 31-2, advancing to its first NJCAA national tournament since 1997. The Cardinals open their 2016-2017 season Nov. 18 when they travel to the Portland Community College tournament.