Claremore Father Of Three Lucky to Be Alive Following Car Accident

By Tara Vreeland, The News On 6

CLAREMORE, OK -- A single father of three, who recently moved to Claremore, is lucky to be alive after a terrible car accident Tuesday morning. His family says they're fortunate they moved to a community with such a big heart.

"It's never good and the first thing you think is, ‘I hope that's not one of ours,'" said Scott Kiker, Sequoyah Junior High Principal.

Kiker was driving a school bus Tuesday morning when he saw an SUV smashed into a tree. He learned the driver was a father of one of his students.

"Obviously the daughter wanted to see her dad, but during the situation, it wasn't what was best at the time," said Kiker.

Donnell Sears was on his way home from working his nightshift. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports Sears says he swerved to miss a skunk.

OHP Trooper Scott Shropshire responded to the accident scene and says he had a trooper hunch to go to Sears' home.

Sears' 9-year-old autistic son answered the door. Had the trooper not shown up, he would have been home alone.

The Sears family moved to Claremore from Michigan, where most of their family still lives.

"He works very, very hard. He's a single dad, three kids. He works hard, but he's a very, very important part of their school life too," said Troy Steidley, Sequoyah Elementary School Principal.

But it was their new family in Claremore that stepped up.

"We just tried to help step in and keep them feeling comfortable and safe knowing they have somebody they can turn to," said Steidley.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol who connected the kids via phone to their dad, the children's schools that gave them support and the church community who took them into their homes.

"That's one of the great things about living in small town Oklahoma. People kind of come together," said Shropshire.

Not for a random act of kindness, but because it's what they say we all should do.

"We just felt like it was the right thing to do," said Kiker.

The News On 6 spoke with Sears' cousin who is with the children at the hospital. As of early Friday evening, Sears is still in ICU and had surgery for some severe injuries. His cousin says they are beyond grateful to those who stepped in to help. She says they would not have expected the same support had this accident happened in Michigan.