One Killed In Crash Involving Skiatook School Bus

One man is dead after a school bus crash in Tulsa.

The bus was carrying members of the Skiatook girl’s basketball team.

The crash happened between the Skiatook school bus and an SUV near Pine and N. 121st E. Ave. around noon Tuesday.

The girls were headed back from Lincoln Christian basketball camp when a man driving an SUV slammed into the bus, according to police.

Police said the driver of the SUV died on impact.

Police are still investigating, but they say the driver of the SUV had tied wooden pallets on top of the vehicle, making it unstable.  They believe that may have caused the vehicle to swerve into the school bus.

“The blue suburban was carrying a lot of wooden pallets on top of it,” said Tulsa Police Sergeant Shane Tuell.  “Being carried illegally and strapped to the top of the vehicle.  From what witnesses told us, the structure began to lean because it was not properly secured.”

Tuell said the coach driving the bus tried to avoid the crash by slamming on the brakes.  He was taken to the hospital to be checked out but is expected to be OK.

All nine girls on board got out without a scratch, as well as their coach’s young son.

News On 6 talked to some of the students after the crash.

“I just remember I went forward,” said Lauren McCreary.  “I thought we were just stopping and then, all of the sudden, we went and hit hard.”

"All of the sudden we hit something and I hit the seat and I hear everyone screaming and glass started flying everywhere," said student Tayber Gord.  "One of the other players said that she saw it come into our lane, but I couldn't see it because I wasn't facing forward."

“All these people ran up to see if we were alright,” McCreary said.

Police said they do not believe the driver was impaired and they are working to get surveillance video of the crash from a business along the road and video from inside the bus.