The girls were riding in a small passenger car at a crossroads in Dishomingo, 122 miles south of Oklahoma.
At this junction there is a traffic stop sign and the speed limit for the highway is 50 mph. Witnesses said the Chevy entered the US-377 after making a “rolling stop” at the stop sign, collided with a Semitruck on the front-left and pushed it off the road, according to the update.
Then, half the truck veered off the road and came to a stop in a private vehicle off the highway. The truck driver was not injured, the report said.
The investigation is ongoing and the NTSB, in conjunction with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, has sent a team of four investigators and a family support specialist to Oklahoma to look into a number of issues.
They will assess highway conditions such as lighting and weather, as well as accident histories at the site and possible causes of human error. They will also review the vehicle’s compliance with federal and state regulations.
Investigators will rebuild the crash site and inspect physical evidence and vehicle damage, the report said.
The group’s visual work is expected to be completed by Monday and an initial report is expected by the end of next month. The full investigation – including possible cause and any contributing factors – will be completed in the next couple of years.
“I want to thank you for your thought, prayer and encouragement on behalf of our students, staff, families and community,” Bobby Whiteman, superintendent of Dishoming Public Schools, said in a statement.
“As we begin the process of broken hearts, I remind you that our primary priority as educators is to meet the emotional, mental, social and physical needs of our students. This is our focus at this time – and we serve every day. Students,” Whiteman’s statement added. .
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