Tragedy Strikes: Six Teenage Girls Killed in Collision with Semi

Six high school girls were killed in a collision with a tractor-trailer near Tishomingo, Oklahoma Tuesday (March 22) when they left their high school's campus for lunch, according to Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

The Johnston County Sherriff's Office confirmed the accident "between a small car and a tractor-trailer was at the intersection of U.S. 377 and State Highways 22 and 99", two-hours south of Oklahoma City. The crash is still under investigation, but according to KXII, OHP Trooper Shelby Humphrey said Tuesday evening that the girls’ car was making a right turn when it collided with the truck. The car is said to have only been able to carry 4 people.

The 16-year-old driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, along with three other victims. Two died after being transported to a hospital. They're all believed to be between 15 and 17 years old.

The driver of the tractor-trailer Valendon Burton, 51, of Burneyville, Oklahoma was not injured.

The Tishomingo School District Suffered a 'Great Loss'

The Tishomingo Independent School District Superintendent Bobby Waitman sent a letter out to parents and students in the district regarding the accident, saying the district "suffered a great loss today involving high school students."

Because of the loss, Waitman also said the school's highest priority would be for the emotional well-being of the students as they deal with the fallout from the tragedy.

The Sherriff's Office also posted on Facebook asking for community support.

A Community Moving Forward

Officers were not able to provide the names of the six teenage girls who were killed in the accident.

A spokesperson for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Trooper Eric Foster told the Oklahoman that the tragedy is "still fresh, we are trying to figure it out."

Another Tragedy

The accident in Tishomingo comes on the heels of another crash in Texas involving the University of the Southwest's golf team. 6 team members, their coach, a 13-year-old driver, and another man were killed when the team's bus collided with a pickup truck.

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