Dec. 8—The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) is investigating the cause of a nine vehicle collision that took place near Chickasha on Thursday.
OHP reported that parts of the H.E. Bailey Turnpike near the crash at mile marker 76 were shut down for up to six hours as multiple agencies responded to the scene.
The eastbound and westbound lanes of the turnpike were closed between US-277 (mile marker 80) in Chickasha and US-277 (mile marker 53) in Elgin due to the crash and a grass fire, according to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA).
Three people were pronounced dead at the scene including Phillip Stephens, 74, of Lubbock, Texas and Bedford Rowland, Jr. 77 of Altus and Marcia Rowland, 76, of Lawton, according to OHP.
There were 16 people involved in the crash, 13 adults and three children. Six adults were transported to a hospital. Three of these were treated and released. Four of the adults and none of the children were injured.
The crash near Chickasha was not the only triple-fatality in Oklahoma on Dec. 7. Three people were killed in a head-on collision on Highway 33 near Cushing. Two people were transported to the hospital, according to OHP.