Blake Shelton Mourns Loss of Teens Killed in Hometown Car Crash
Blake Shelton is speaking out about the tragic loss of six high school girls who were killed in a car crash in his hometown of Tishomingo, Okla.
The crash occurred on Tuesday (March 22) at around 12:30PM, when the car carrying the teens collided with a semi-truck. All six teens died soon after the incident.
Shelton released a statement about the accident, mentioning his experience with losing a loved one to a car crash. The singer's older brother, Richie, died after a crash in 1990.
"In the wake of yesterday's unthinkable crash in our small town of Tishomingo, we as a community have all been in shock and broken-hearted," Shelton shares with People. "I personally know the devastation of suddenly losing a loved one in a car accident. But our community is strong and has come together to support and wrap our arms around the families and friends that are hurting the most."
"There's no question it will take a long time to heal from this tragedy. Keep the prayers coming,” he adds.
According to NBC News, the Tishomingo High School students were driving to lunch in a Chevrolet Spark when the accident occurred. The victims were between the ages of 15 and 17 years old. The names of the victims have not been released.
The driver and front-seat passenger reportedly wore seat belts, and four teens were pronounced dead on the scene. The driver of the semi truck, 51-year-old Valendon Burton, was not injured in the crash.
Shelton owns a ranch in the 3,000-person town of Tishomingo, where he lives part-time with his wife Gwen Stefani and their family. The singer has long been open about the loss of his brother due to a car crash. He and his ex-wife Miranda Lambert wrote about the loss in Lambert’s award-winning 2012 hit, “Over You.”