Stillwater/OSU press conference about accident

By Beverly Bryant/News Director

Stillwater Police Capt. Kyle Gibbs spoke just before 1 p.m. Saturday on the Oklahoma State University Homecoming accident which killed three and injured at least 27 others.

Gibbs said the accident occurred near the conclusion of the parade. The car which careened into the parade was a 2014 Hundai Elantra, he said.

He said the car struck an unmanned police motorcycle which was blocking southbound traffic at Main Street and Hall of Fame, and then a crowd of people at 10:31 a.m. Saturday.

Of the additional injuries, he said there were eight critically injured patients who were flown out and seven people with serious injuries. He said there were "seven walking wounded," all sent to Stiillwater Medical Center.

The driver, identified as Adacia Chambers, 25, of Stillwater, was arrested on a complaint of Driving Under the Influence. Gibbs said she was taken to Stillwater Medical Center where a blood alcohol test was performed. The results will not be available for several days, but he said there was probable cause for the arrest.

A Stillwater Police Department accident reconstruction crew was on scene, Gibbs said. He added it will take several days to get additional information at the accident scene.

Gibbs expressed his thank for the Stillwater Emergency Medical Service, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Stillwater Fire Department, and the National Guard, many of whom were on scene at the time of the accident as a part of the parade.

Anyone who witnessed the accident or who may have video of the accident is asked to contact the Stillwater Policde Department.

Stillwater Fire Chief Tom Bradley said the department deployed seven apparatuses and two were in the parade. Staff worked with the EMS to set up staging and pre-op to transport, he said.

Stillwater Mayor Gina Nobles said the community is h eartbroken and expressed her thougths and prayers are with the families of those who died and were injured. She directed the public to Stillwater.org for more information on the accident.

"OSU is just devastated by this tragedy," Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis said. "The OSU homeoming parade is one of the most happy events in this country. We want to reach out to our families. Our thanks go out to the EMS and the expert work they did. But for them, it could have been even worse.

"The families will never be able too understand this, but the OSU family pulls together," Hargis said .

Hargis said the game would be played "and we are going to remember the victims at the game."

No information on identities of the victims is available at this time. They have been taken for treatment.