GRANDFIELD — A fiery collision Monday morning west of Grandfield killed one person and injured several students on a school bus, including the driver.
The collision happened about 8 a.m. 5 miles west of Grandfield on U.S. 70 as a Grandfield Public Schools bus was transporting high school students to Great Plains Technology Center’s Frederick campus for classes.
“The (bus) driver encountered a driver in the wrong lane of traffic,” said Grandfield Superintendent of Schools David Stout. “He did everything he could to avoid it.”
The collision caused the pickup truck to burst into flames. The driver of the truck died at the scene, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The section of highway was closed for more than 4 hours, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The name of the pickup driver is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, according to the OHP report.
“A couple of farmers were heroes,” Stout said. “They took a chain and pulled the bus away from the truck (so flames wouldn’t spread to it).”
Stout said the 10 students on the bus all suffered minor injuries. They were taken to three different medical facilities and treated and released. One student, an 18-year-old female, was taken to United Regional Hospital in Wichita Falls by Survival Flight air ambulance, according to the OHP report. The other students taken either by ambulances or private vehicles to hospitals in Lawton and Wichita Falls, according to the OHP report.
The bus driver, James Jackson, was taken to Wichita Falls United Regional Hospital and then airlifted to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, Stout said.
The OHP report said Jackson suffered internal and external and leg injuries.
“As we talk, I understand that he is in trauma surgery,” Stout said about 5:30 p.m. “We are asking for lots of thoughts and prayers for James.”
Jackson, 35, had driven a school bus for Grandfield since August 2021, Stout said, and the technology center was his usual route.
Mental health professionals will be at Grandfield schools from 12:30-3:30 p.m. today to assist students, Stout said.
“After that we will monitor the situation as needed,” Stout said.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation, according to the OHP report.
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