Four members of the North Central Texas College girl’s softball team were killed in an accident caused by a tractor-trailer that crossed the center median and struck the team’s bus in Oklahoma late last month. The four victims of the fatal trucking accident have been identified by North Central Texas College Chief of Police James Fitch as 20-year-old Jaiden Pelton, 20-year-old Brooke Deckard, 19-year-old Meagan Richardson, and 18-year-old Katelynn Woodlee, all from Texas. If you have suffered injuries in a trucking accident in Texas, or if you lost a loved one in a fatal wreck with a semi-truck, contact our knowledgeable attorneys at Bandas Law Firm today to discuss your options for legal recourse.
TRUCK DRIVER CROSSED MEDIAN
The fatal trucking accident took place at about 9 p.m. on the evening of September 26, on Interstate 35, as the team was returning to Texas following a game with Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma. According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the tractor-trailer, driven by 53-year-old Russel Staley of Texas, was traveling northbound on I-35 when it crossed over the median and collided with the softball team’s bus, which was traveling southbound. Following the collision, the team’s bus rolled over and the semi-truck traveled into a wooded area on the side of the highway. While the front end of the bus remained intact, troopers said the sides of the vehicle suffered severe damage, namely the driver’s side of the bus.
TRUCK ACCIDENT INJURIES, FATALITIES
Three of the victims died at the scene of the trucking accident, a fourth died a short time later at the hospital, and more than a dozen others were injured, including the driver of the tractor-trailer. According to an OHP trooper, three students were transported by ambulance to Paul’s Valley General Hospital in Paul’s Valley, Oklahoma, along with the truck driver; six were taken to Mercy Hospital in Ardmore, and two were airlifted to OU Medical Center in Norman. “This is the most traumatic event the campus has faced,” said NCTC President Dr. Brent Wallace following the deadly accident. “I want to offer sincere condolences to the girls’ families.”
OUR TRUCKING ACCIDENT LAWYERS CAN HELP
The cause of the fatal trucking accident is under investigation and Capt. Ronnie Hampton of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol says that “Any collision that results in death and someone could be charged with a crime is a homicide investigation.” If you have been injured in a trucking accident in Corpus Christi, or elsewhere in Texas, consult our personal injury lawyers at Bandas Law Firm for legal help. Our law firm is located in Corpus Christi, and our knowledgeable attorneys have years of experience protecting the rights of trucking accident victims and their families throughout the state of Texas.
Source:
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/School-Bus-Involved-in-I-35-Crash-in-Oklahoma-277298211.html
