School bus hit head-on; man dies
BY JARREL WADE World Staff Writer
Saturday, April 17, 2010
4/17/10 at 5:33 AM
A man was killed when his pickup collided with a school bus that was transporting students after classes Friday afternoon.
Fourteen students from Tulsa Technology Center's Peoria Avenue campus were on the bus at the time, Tulsa Police Officer Jason Willingham said.
The students attend a variety of high schools and take classes at Tulsa Tech in the afternoon.
Tulsa County resident Floyd Durant, 64, died in the collision, which occurred in the 1900 block of East 36th Street North about 2:45 p.m., police said. Witnesses said his westbound pickup had been weaving in and out of its lane and that an eastbound vehicle that was traveling in front of the bus swerved to avoid being hit by the pickup.
The pickup then hit the bus head-on, sending the bus into a ditch, Willingham said. Durant was pronounced dead at the scene.
Eight people — seven students and the bus driver — were taken by ambulance in fair condition to hospitals, EMSA spokesman Chris Stevens said.
Two students were transported to St. John Medical Center, and two students were taken to SouthCrest Hospital. The bus driver, whose name was not released Friday, and three other students were taken to Hillcrest Medical Center, Stevens said.
Tulsa Technology Center contracts with Tulsa Public Schools to transport students to and from its campuses, said Tony Heaberlin, Tulsa Tech's marketing director.
Another bus picked up the seven other students who were on the bus.
Heaberlin expressed condolences from the Tulsa Tech staff to Durant's family.
"Obviously, it's a very sad situation," he said.
Jarrel Wade 581-8367
jarrel.wade@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
A Tulsa Public Schools bus sits in a ditch off 36th Street North between Peoria and Lewis avenues after a fatal collision Friday afternoon. The driver of a pickup that hit the bus head-on was killed. CORY YOUNG/ Tulsa World
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