North Central Texas College is mourning the death of four softball players killed in a bus crash last night.
A serious bus crash claimed the lives of four North Central Texas College student-athletes according to NBC News. The students were members of the school’s softball team, and were returning home from a game against Southern Nazarene University.
The accident occurred around 9 P.M. central time Friday night. While driving down Interstate 35 in Oklahoma, the North Central Texas College team bus was struck violently by a semi-truck. The most serious damage to the bus was on the side, near the middle. The front end of the bus sustained the least amount of damage.
Three of the students on the bus died on the scene, while the fourth victim died at a local hospital. There were 11 other students on the bus, along with the coach of the team who was driving the bus during the crash. The coach of the team refused treatment at the scene, but the 11 students were transported to local hospitals. Six of those students were released from the hospital this morning.
The driver of the semi-truck was taken to a hospital as well after the crash. According to ESPN, the semi-truck crossed a median and struck the side of the bus, causing it to roll over. The semi-truck continued going until it ran off the side of the road.
The names of the victims have not been released yet. Since late last night, the school has released several statements on its Facebook page updating the public on any information surrounding the crash. This morning, school president Brent Wallace held a short press conference in which he spoke about the tragic event. Wallace asked for prayers for the victims, the team and the school itself as it deals with this difficult time. He also noted that a prayer vigil will be held tomorrow night on the campus of North Central Texas College.
The National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the crash. The investigation will in all likelihood take multiple weeks.
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