Griffith, Ind., students home after being stuck on turnpike

GRIFFITH, Ind. (WLS) -- About two dozen Griffith, Ind., 8th graders are home safe Sunday after being stuck on the Pennsylvania Turnpike for 24 hours during the massive storm on the East Coast.

The girl's basketball team from St. Mary School of Griffith was heading home from Washington, D.C., when they got stuck just south of Pittsburgh. The National Guard eventually brought them food and water.

"The students handled everything extremely, extremely well, " said Bernard Begeske, a parent. "Nobody panicked. Nobody was like, 'Oh my goodness, Armageddon is coming. Everybody was aware of the situation."

Hours after returning home at 6 a.m., the team still played a game Sunday afternoon in Griffith.

The group was not the only ones stuck on the turnpike, which was snarled by a massive snow storm that pounded the East Coast starting Friday night. The Pennsylvania Turnpike was closed for 86 miles Saturday due to the severe weather.

The Duquesne men's basketball team and the Temple women's gymnastics team also were stuck on the turnpike.

The Griffith group left early Friday morning, hoped to get ahead of the storm, but got stuck.

A chaperone, who spoke to ABC7 on Saturday from the turnpike, said there was heat on the bus, but they still had to find their own ways to pass the time.

"We played a lot of games," said student Briah Strezo. "Truth or dare, never have I ever. We slept most of the time, then towards the end we started shoveling because we wanted to go home."