Woman killed in I-244 crash involving charter bus

A charter bus loaded with University of Northern Iowa fans crashed head-on into an SUV late Sunday, killing a Sand Springs woman. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports the SUV driver, 39-year-old Kristen Pratt, was driving westbound in the eastbound lanes, but the investigation has not determined why.

Dwight Meacham, a passenger on the bus, said he looked up to see headlights in the instant before the crash.

"Before I could do anything, I just grabbed the seat in front of me and braced," he said.

The bus has 37 passengers plus the driver, all fans of the University of Northern Iowa, in Tulsa for the NCAA Big 12 Championship. The wrestling team finished second, with three individual titles. The school in a statement said, "The University of Northern Iowa is aware of the auto accident last night in Tulsa following the conclusion of the Big 12 Wrestling Championships and is thankful that no injuries have been reported."

The bus left downtown Tulsa, for Indianola, Iowa, when the crash happened on Interstate 244 at Memorial. The interchange has an unusual left-hand off-ramp from the interstate, which for drivers on Memorial, can be mistaken for an eastbound on-ramp to the highway.

"They were in the far left hand lane, with us, so traveling in a lane they should in traveling down the road, but just happened to be in the lane we're in," said Meacham, who praised the driver for maintaining control after the collision. The bus came to rest in a median just east of Memorial.

John Grzywacz, the owner of CIT Charters, said, "Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and loved ones of the individual who tragically lost their life in this incident. Preliminary investigations indicate that the other vehicle involved was traveling in the wrong direction on the interstate when the collision occurred. Our bus driver, who was following all proper safety protocols, did everything possible to avoid the situation."

Trooper Mark Southall of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said the investigation would be extensive and involve the NTSB since it involved a charter bus. The SUV was crushed, and the bus was heavily damaged.

The Tulsa Fire Department brought in a bus from the training academy to drive passengers back downtown. A local bus company picked them up Monday morning, driving them to Kansas City, where a bus from Iowa met them for the remainder of the trip.