A juvenile male survived the horrific accident.
By Sujeet Rajan
NEW YORK: Six Indian-origin individuals, including two children, from Kansas, Missouri, were killed Friday night in a horrific accident on U.S. Highway 69, in Mayes County, near Chouteau, in rural Oklahoma, when the Honda Odyssey minivan they were in reportedly lost control on the slick road and collided with a semitrailer head on.
Reports said a juvenile male in the minivan survived the crash and has been admitted to the Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa. The driver of the trailer was treated for injuries and released.
A source, under the condition of anonymity, told The American Bazaar in a phone conversation that the people killed in the crash were from two families, all of Indian-origin. The source declined to reveal further information as police were reportedly looking to notify the family members of the deceased.
KMBC-TV disclosed on Sunday the names of two of the six killed in the accident: Agna Pal Singh, 34, and Annu Jha, 31.
KJRH Channel reported the accident happened around 11:30 p.m.
The Associated Press, citing an Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) report, said the victims are 1 and 3-year-old boys, a 32-year-old man, a 34-year-old man, a 31-year-old woman, and a woman whose age was not known. The juvenile boy, whose age was not known, was hospitalized in serious condition.
Police said the victims were all wearing seat belts. Investigators said it was raining at the time of the crash and the minivan was driving too fast for those conditions, according to AP. Investigators said the area of the highway between the towns of Mazie and Chouteau is especially dangerous during bad weather.
The OHP report says the seven individuals in the minivan were in a southbound van on U.S. 69 near Chouteau when the driver lost control on the wet highway shortly before midnight Friday. The van then crossed the median and was struck head-on by a northbound tractor-trailer rig.
Tulsa World reported that three passengers were pinned in the vehicle ranging from an hour to almost two hours and were extracted by Chouteau Fire Department. Two victims — including one of the juveniles — was ejected from the vehicle during the crash.
OHP identified the driver of the semi-trailer as Harold Harris of Grandview, Texas. He was treated and released for his injuries.
The Mayes County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Chouteau Police Department, Chouteau Fire Department, Pafford Ambulance and Mesta Ambulance assisted OHP troopers with the wreck, reported Tulsa World.