LINCOLN COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) – One student was flown to the hospital after a bus carrying an Oklahoma high school football team rolled over on a Lincoln County highway. As of early Friday evening, the girl is still in the hospital.
The Cushing High School football team was celebrating a blowout victory in Oklahoma City Thursday night versus Classen SAS High School at Northeast. Scarily, matters turned south on the drive back home. Around 11 p.m. Thursday, one of the team’s busses crashed with 22 students and two staff on board.
District superintendent Dr. Melissa Amon was on her way back from the game, too. She was struck with panic upon hearing the news.
“It’s terrifying when you think about how you have students in possible danger for those few minutes until someone can get there on the scene,” she said.
The bus was on Highway 18, just north of Chandler when the driver overcorrected after veering off-road. The bus then flipped on its side.
Some students suffered minor whiplash, scratches and concussions. One had to be med-flighted to OU Health in Oklahoma City, suffering from a back injury.
Amin said the driver, who was one of the football team coaches, is pretty shaken up from the accident, but thankful everyone will ultimately be okay.
“We will probably not have him driving, not for any reason that he’s done anything wrong,” she explained. “We believe this was simply an accident, but we just want to make sure that he has the appropriate amount of time to just recover from what’s happened.”
The girl who was flown to the hospital with back injuries is expected to make a full recovery, according to Amin.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol said the crash remains under investigation.