School bus, truck collide; 2 killed
By PATTI WEAVER World Correspondent
3/30/2005
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CUSHING -- Two people -- one of them a student -- were killed Tuesday in a crash of a Ripley school bus and a truck pulling a stock trailer at Oklahoma 18 and Eseco Road, eight miles southwest of Cushing.
Another student aboard the bus and the bus driver were injured.
The truck driver, Carl Edward Tarver, 58, of Cushing, was killed in the crash and his passenger, Linda Tarver, 55, was injured, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol communications officer told The Associated Press
Ripley Elementary School Principal Lisa Pitts said that Sandra Combs, a 10th-grader who recently turned 16, was killed.
"Her dad, Carlos Combs, was driving into his driveway when he saw the bus spinning" on the highway less than a half-mile away from his home, Pitts said.
"It's sickening. It breaks your heart," Pitts said, fighting tears as she stood across from the Ripley school bus, with its front end demolished.
"We had nine kids on the bus -- a sixth-grader, junior high and high school students. This is the end of the route," Pitts said.
Parents arrived at the accident scene quickly, she said. "Kids passed around a cell phone and called their parents," she said.
Another girl, a 10th-grader, was also injured in the crash, Pitts said.
"She was taken to the Cushing hospital. She'll be all right. She's in fair condition," said Pitts, who did not release that girl's name.
"Both girls were in the front seat. Sandra was behind the driver; the other girl was on the other side," Pitts said.
Ripley School Superintendent Kenny Beams said that the bus driver, Jimmie Sue Blose, who teaches music in the elementary school and was driving a substitute route, "was hurt pretty bad."
Blose was flown by helicopter to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, where she was in critical condition, Pitts said.
A witness, Eric Sams, 21, who works as a car fabricator at Wheels of Past Restoration directly across from the accident scene, said he had stepped outside at 4:03 p.m. for a smoke break when he heard "a loud screech."
"I heard a big boom, like a bomb. I ran for my boss, Dennis Francis, for help, to call 911.
"The truck loaded with cattle hit the front of the bus," which was going east on Eseco Road crossing Oklahoma 18, while the truck was traveling north on the highway, Sams said.
"The bus had stopped and went on," Sams said.
"The bus was taking off. The truck hit the front end of the bus. The bus spun completely around. The front axle of the bus bounced off, onto the road.
"The axle bounced, hitting the front of the bus," Sams said. "Four of us moved it, about 40 feet, out of the road."
He said he, his employer and co-workers, Michael Talent, 18, and Andy Johnson, 21, all worked together to move the about 500-pound axle.
"Four or five of the kids got out of the emergency exit of the bus. The bus driver looked slumped over in the seat.
"The girl who died was lying in the stairs of the bus. Her leg was caught under the bifold door.
"Michael and I jacked the bus up trying to get the door off her leg. Some men were yanking on the door," Sams said.
"It's the worst thing that ever happened that I've seen. It happened so fast."
Cushing Deputy Fire Chief Brent Kerr said, "This is one of the worst accidents we've had here in quite a while; a lot of people, a lot of chaos."
Neither Kerr nor Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. Jerry Coyle would release the names of any of the victims.
Superintendent Beams said that Wednesday "will be a voluntary day" in which students would not be required to be in school.
Counselors will be there for students who attend classes Wednesday, he said.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Update on tragic wreck last night....
School bus crash victims identified
By The Associated Press
RIPLEY -- A school bus collided with a flatbed pickup truck near this small Payne County community, killing a 16-year-old Ripley High School girl and the driver of the truck and injuring at least two others, officials said.
Sandra Deann Combs, 16, of Agra, a passenger on the school bus, and Carl Edward Tarver, 57, of Cushing, were killed in the 4:05 p.m. crash on Tuesday, said Diann Warnock, a communications officer with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Combs was pinned for about 1 1/2 hours by jammed bus doors before Cushing firefighters were able to cut her free, troopers said. She suffered massive head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
Another passenger on the bus, Halli McKintire, sustained head and internal injuries and was taken to Cushing Regional Hospital in stable condition, the OHP said. Her hometown and age were not available.
The bus driver, Jimmie Sue Blose, 50, was flown by helicopter to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, the patrol reported. Media relations coordinator Hether Haddox said Wednesday morning she could not release information on Blose.
Firefighters worked for about two hours to free Tarver from the wreckage of his truck, but he died of massive head injuries at the scene of the accident, the patrol said.
A passenger in Tarver's truck, Linda Lou Tarver, 54, sustained head and leg injuries and was taken to Cushing Regional Hospital before being transferred to Deaconess Hospital, the OHP said.
There were six other passengers on the bus but information about them, including names, ages and hometowns, wasn't immediately released.
The bus was eastbound on a county road when it failed to yield to the pickup, which was pulling a cattle trailer northbound on State Highway 18, Trooper Steve Burrows said in a report on the accident. The truck crashed into the bus on the front passenger side, Burrows said. (This means she ran the stop sign!!)
Eric Sams, an employee of an auto shop near the intersection where the crash occurred, witnessed the crash.
"The bus was spun completely around," Sams said. "The front axle of the bus bounced off onto the road and onto the bus."
The impact mangled the front end of the truck all the way up to the driver's side windshield and tore off the hood of the bus. Yellow debris from the bus and wheels were strewn about the area.
Ripley softball coach Tony Cazzelle said classes would be voluntary Wednesday and that counselors would be on hand to meet with students. "It's just a little town, and something like this touches everybody," Cazzelle said. "I know that everybody here knows everybody, and half of them are related."
Cazzelle was coaching the girls' softball team when he found out about the crash.
"We finished the game, and I told the girls after the game," he said. He said Combs "was a real good friend to several players. We all prayed..."
Students were encouraged to arrive about 9:30 or 10 a.m. Wednesday. Buses were not scheduled to operate, officials said.
The Ripley district has about 300 elementary pupils and 125 high school students.
The community is about 16 miles southeast of Stillwater and about eight miles northeast of Perkins.
By The Associated Press
RIPLEY -- A school bus collided with a flatbed pickup truck near this small Payne County community, killing a 16-year-old Ripley High School girl and the driver of the truck and injuring at least two others, officials said.
Sandra Deann Combs, 16, of Agra, a passenger on the school bus, and Carl Edward Tarver, 57, of Cushing, were killed in the 4:05 p.m. crash on Tuesday, said Diann Warnock, a communications officer with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Combs was pinned for about 1 1/2 hours by jammed bus doors before Cushing firefighters were able to cut her free, troopers said. She suffered massive head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
Another passenger on the bus, Halli McKintire, sustained head and internal injuries and was taken to Cushing Regional Hospital in stable condition, the OHP said. Her hometown and age were not available.
The bus driver, Jimmie Sue Blose, 50, was flown by helicopter to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, the patrol reported. Media relations coordinator Hether Haddox said Wednesday morning she could not release information on Blose.
Firefighters worked for about two hours to free Tarver from the wreckage of his truck, but he died of massive head injuries at the scene of the accident, the patrol said.
A passenger in Tarver's truck, Linda Lou Tarver, 54, sustained head and leg injuries and was taken to Cushing Regional Hospital before being transferred to Deaconess Hospital, the OHP said.
There were six other passengers on the bus but information about them, including names, ages and hometowns, wasn't immediately released.
The bus was eastbound on a county road when it failed to yield to the pickup, which was pulling a cattle trailer northbound on State Highway 18, Trooper Steve Burrows said in a report on the accident. The truck crashed into the bus on the front passenger side, Burrows said. (This means she ran the stop sign!!)
Eric Sams, an employee of an auto shop near the intersection where the crash occurred, witnessed the crash.
"The bus was spun completely around," Sams said. "The front axle of the bus bounced off onto the road and onto the bus."
The impact mangled the front end of the truck all the way up to the driver's side windshield and tore off the hood of the bus. Yellow debris from the bus and wheels were strewn about the area.
Ripley softball coach Tony Cazzelle said classes would be voluntary Wednesday and that counselors would be on hand to meet with students. "It's just a little town, and something like this touches everybody," Cazzelle said. "I know that everybody here knows everybody, and half of them are related."
Cazzelle was coaching the girls' softball team when he found out about the crash.
"We finished the game, and I told the girls after the game," he said. He said Combs "was a real good friend to several players. We all prayed..."
Students were encouraged to arrive about 9:30 or 10 a.m. Wednesday. Buses were not scheduled to operate, officials said.
The Ripley district has about 300 elementary pupils and 125 high school students.
The community is about 16 miles southeast of Stillwater and about eight miles northeast of Perkins.
Today's Quote
Today's Quote
Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present.
-Unknown
Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present.
-Unknown
Death comes knocking.... close by... and touches our family....
2 Die In Ripley High School Bus Crash
Female Student Among Dead In Ripley School Bus Accident
POSTED: 5:11 pm CST March 29, 2005
UPDATED: 12:58 am CST March 30, 2005
RIPLEY, Okla. -- A school bus collided with a pickup truck near this small Payne County community Tuesday afternoon, killing a 16-year-old Ripley High School girl and the driver of the truck, officials said.
2 Die In Payne County School Bus Crash
Sandra Deann Combs, 16, of Agra, a passenger on the school bus, and Carl Edward Tarver, 58, (Carl is the brother of Kathy Tarver Hanks, wife of Randy Hanks of Ripley. Phillip is very close friends with the family, and Randy and I and Phil used to race pigeons together!) of Cushing, were killed in the crash, said Diann Warnock, a communications officer with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The driver of the bus, Jimmie Sue Blose, 50, (Jimmie is a dear friend of Sharon Robinson, a close personal friend of our family. Jimmie is also a former client of ours at the Feed Barn. She is a super super lady who would do anything anytime to help ANYONE! I can still hear her wonderful voice and see her big ole smile... ) and a passenger in Tarver's truck, Linda Tarver, 55, both were transported to area hospitals, Warnock said. Their conditions weren't immediately available.
The pickup, pulling a cattle trailer, was headed northbound on State Highway 18 and the bus was headed east on a county road when the crash occurred, according to OHP Lt. Brandon Kopepasah.
Eric Sams, an employee of an auto shop near the intersection where the crash occurred, witnessed the crash.
"The bus was spun completely around," Sams said. "The front axle of the bus bounced off onto the road and onto the bus."
Ripley softball coach Tony Cazzelle said classes would be voluntary Wednesday and that counselors would be on hand to meet with students.
"It's just a little town, and something like this touches everybody," Cazzelle said. "I know that everybody here knows everybody, and half of them are related."
Cazzelle was coaching the girls' softball team when he found out about the crash.
"We finished the game, and I told the girls after the game," he said.
He said Combs "was a real good friend to several players. We all prayed..."
The Ripley district has about 300 elementary pupils and 125 high school students.
Ed's Note:... please remember these familys in prayer as we go about our lives this day. They will be struggling to understand, as we all are, why, when, what, how, but in the end, it's all God's plan.... The only thing we can do is be ready to go... when the knock comes... on our door, and pray for guidance and understanding of the events... and help and grace and care for the familys... Carl was a wonderful Christian man, as is Jimmie. Sometimes in these deals, those that survive, really don't.
Female Student Among Dead In Ripley School Bus Accident
POSTED: 5:11 pm CST March 29, 2005
UPDATED: 12:58 am CST March 30, 2005
RIPLEY, Okla. -- A school bus collided with a pickup truck near this small Payne County community Tuesday afternoon, killing a 16-year-old Ripley High School girl and the driver of the truck, officials said.
2 Die In Payne County School Bus Crash
Sandra Deann Combs, 16, of Agra, a passenger on the school bus, and Carl Edward Tarver, 58, (Carl is the brother of Kathy Tarver Hanks, wife of Randy Hanks of Ripley. Phillip is very close friends with the family, and Randy and I and Phil used to race pigeons together!) of Cushing, were killed in the crash, said Diann Warnock, a communications officer with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The driver of the bus, Jimmie Sue Blose, 50, (Jimmie is a dear friend of Sharon Robinson, a close personal friend of our family. Jimmie is also a former client of ours at the Feed Barn. She is a super super lady who would do anything anytime to help ANYONE! I can still hear her wonderful voice and see her big ole smile... ) and a passenger in Tarver's truck, Linda Tarver, 55, both were transported to area hospitals, Warnock said. Their conditions weren't immediately available.
The pickup, pulling a cattle trailer, was headed northbound on State Highway 18 and the bus was headed east on a county road when the crash occurred, according to OHP Lt. Brandon Kopepasah.
Eric Sams, an employee of an auto shop near the intersection where the crash occurred, witnessed the crash.
"The bus was spun completely around," Sams said. "The front axle of the bus bounced off onto the road and onto the bus."
Ripley softball coach Tony Cazzelle said classes would be voluntary Wednesday and that counselors would be on hand to meet with students.
"It's just a little town, and something like this touches everybody," Cazzelle said. "I know that everybody here knows everybody, and half of them are related."
Cazzelle was coaching the girls' softball team when he found out about the crash.
"We finished the game, and I told the girls after the game," he said.
He said Combs "was a real good friend to several players. We all prayed..."
The Ripley district has about 300 elementary pupils and 125 high school students.
Ed's Note:... please remember these familys in prayer as we go about our lives this day. They will be struggling to understand, as we all are, why, when, what, how, but in the end, it's all God's plan.... The only thing we can do is be ready to go... when the knock comes... on our door, and pray for guidance and understanding of the events... and help and grace and care for the familys... Carl was a wonderful Christian man, as is Jimmie. Sometimes in these deals, those that survive, really don't.
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