PAWHUSKA, Okla. — The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is investigating a single vehicle crash in Osage County that left five young adults with serious injuries.
A single cab truck veered off of County Road 5101 in Pawhuska and crashed into an embankment. Four passengers were inside the cab of the truck, and a fifth person was sitting on the bed.
“There was a passenger sitting next to the driver," said OHP's Mark Southall. "In some kind of joking manner, he thought it would be good to hit the gas, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle which then hit a steep embankment.”
Among remnants left over at the scene the morning after, a smashed window, a single shoe, medical gloves, pieces of the truck and a crushed beer can.
“There was some drinking involved," said Southall. "We don’t have any reason to believe the driver was intoxicated, but we do have reason to believe the passenger who thought it would be a smart idea to punch the gas, had been drinking.”
At least two of the passengers were drinking, Southall said.
Three of the victims were life-flighted to Tulsa hospitals for their injuries.
WATCH: Five young people injured in single vehicle Pawhuska crash
The crash called in a major response, with emergency crews from Hominy, Barnsdall and Shidler all answering this call for help. Pawhuska police and fire and the Osage County Sheriff's Office were also on scene.
"This was a crash with a lot of victims, so when that happens, we have to pull resources from all over to come help out," said Southall. "Thankfully in the county, all those agencies really work together to take care of one problem, and we see that across the state. They displayed that last night in Pawhuska."
All five of the passengers are expected to survive, but Southall said some have severe injuries and have a long road to recovery ahead of them.
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