Newkirk student seriously injured by semi in crosswalk

Staff Report

A 16-year-old female student was struck by a semi in Newkirk, Okla. during the noon hour Monday. Newkirk Fire Chief Adam Longcrier said that the accident occurred at the intersection of South and Academy.
“When we arrived, we found a 16-year-old female, a minor, underneath the semi,” he said.
Longcrier said witnesses on scene reported that the front wheels of the semi had run over the student. He said that the victim was in the crosswalk when she was struck.
Longcrier said that the victim was not trapped under the vehicle. She was breathing, alert, and oriented but had received injuries to her head, torso, hip and her extremities.
“We were able to quickly provide her care and get her to off the road and into a Newkirk ambulance, where we transported to the Newkirk football field where we had a helicopter landing, the air evac 128 out of Ponca City,” he said.” She was transported to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita in critical condition.”
Longcrier said that the vehicle was moved to the parking lot next to the high school at the Apple Market. He said the driver remained on the scene  with the Newkirk police and the Kay County Sheriff’s officials, waiting for the arrival of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to investigate the investigate the accident.
School superintendent Todd Overstreet wrote a letter to parents that was posted to Facebook. It said privacy laws prevent him from sharing information about the student, but that counselors are available to students who might need extra support.
“As we say, Newkirk is a district where every student feels loved, respected and encouraged,” Overstreet wrote. “I know the community will rally around this student and their family during this difficult time.”