Gollihare, Banning announce immediate safety steps at SH-67 & Fern after crash that killed 9-year-old

OKLAHOMA CITY — Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville, and Rep. Chris Banning, R-Bixby, today outlined immediate and longer-term safety actions for State Highway 67 at Fern/Warrior Road in Glenpool following Monday morning’s multi-vehicle crash that claimed the life of a 9-year-old student and injured several others.

“First, our hearts are with this family and everyone grieving,” Gollihare said. “We offer our thoughts and prayers, along with immediate action. I asked DPS and OHP to surge patrols along this corridor during school traffic windows, and I’ve requested ODOT deploy temporary warning measures now — while we drive a permanent fix informed by data.”

Gollihare said he has been in contact with DPS Commissioner Tim Tipton, OHP leadership, ODOT engineers, and Glenpool Mayor Joyce Calvert to coordinate near-term and long-term improvements. The location sits adjacent to Glenpool’s football stadium along SH-67/151st Street.

Requested Immediate actions (now through the next several days)

• Increased patrol presence: OHP will concentrate enforcement along SH-67/151st during peak school traffic while interim measures are installed.

• Temporary warning devices: ODOT, in coordination with the City of Glenpool, will deploy a package of higher-visibility alerts — portable radar “Your Speed” feedback signs, “School Traffic Ahead” warnings, and temporary flashing beacons — to prompt slower approaches and greater caution near Fern/Warrior.

• Traffic operations review: ODOT and Glenpool will evaluate speed limits, turn movements, and queuing at Fern/Warrior to reduce conflict points during arrival and dismissal windows.

Near-term and permanent solutions (weeks to months)

• Expedited safety study: ODOT has already accelerated a corridor safety analysis for SH-67/151st near US-75. Interim speed/volume counts and crash-pattern reviews are underway, with the broader study slated to conclude by next week.

• Speed management options: Based on data, agencies will consider time-of-day speed reductions, targeted lane/turn treatments, and permanent driver-feedback signage or flashing beacons at appropriate locations.

• School-area treatments: While the stadium area does not currently meet the technical definition of a school zone, the study will assess event- and school-traffic patterns to determine warranted special-event or time-specific safety treatments near the stadium. Legislative studies will also begin to look deeper into the inclusion of sports facilities in school zones.

• City-state coordination: Glenpool’s constituents' request for a speed reduction on 151st/SH-67 will be evaluated by ODOT using the study’s findings, in consultation with city leadership.

Chris Banning, R-Bixby, said, "Since learning of this tragedy, I've been praying for the right words to comfort this young boy's family and for our community, which has been affected by this horrible accident that took one of our precious children much too soon. As a parent of two children around this young man's age, I cannot image the pain this family is feeling. My prayers and those of my family also will continue for this young boy's mother and one of his siblings who are still in ICU at the time of my writing this. We pray for complete healing and comfort during this incredibly difficult time. 

"I have visited the roadside memorial multiple times since this accident to pray. I can see by the tributes left in this young man's honor, that he is someone I would have loved to have known. 

"I too met with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation the morning after this accident to speak about immediate actions that can be taken to increase safety along this corridor. I look forward to authoring legislation to designate areas such as this as qualified school zones."

Gollihare thanked local leaders and families for their advocacy. “I cannot emphasize this enough: your input matters. We will keep you updated on deployments, study milestones, and any required approvals. We will make change together. The goal is simple: slower speeds, clearer warnings, safer decisions — especially when innocent children are nearby.”

Members of the public may direct feedback to the City of Glenpool and ODOT; Sen. Gollihare’s office will continue posting updates as actions are implemented.

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