A Newkirk High School student is currently in critical condition following a collision with a semi-truck in front of the school premises on Monday.
According to Newkirk Fire Chief Adam Longcrier, emergency personnel received a distress call at 12:14 p.m. concerning an incident involving a student and a semi-truck near the intersection of South and Academy.
Upon arrival, rescue teams discovered a 16-year-old female beneath the truck. Although she wasn’t trapped, she was found positioned under the truck in close proximity to the driver’s side door.
Longcrier shared that eyewitnesses saw the young girl being struck while using the crosswalk. Indications suggest that the front tires of the semi-truck passed over her hip region during the collision.
The teenager sustained several hip fractures, head injuries, and injuries to all her limbs. Despite her injuries, she remained conscious and was breathing adequately. To ensure prompt and appropriate medical care, she was transported via air ambulance to a trauma center. AirEvac, dispatched from Ponca City, conducted the airlift to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas. Her condition was reported as critical at the time of departure from Newkirk.
Longcrier commended the quick response of the Newkirk High School staff, acknowledging the emotional challenges they faced. Multiple school personnel were present at the scene upon emergency personnel’s arrival. They managed to establish contact with the student’s parents, and her mother was able to see her before the helicopter departed for Wichita.
Longcrier extended his gratitude to both Newkirk police and Kay County deputies for effectively managing traffic and facilitating the swift removal of the student from the accident scene. An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the Newkirk police, and as of now, no names have been disclosed.
