5-Year-Old Victim Talks About Shawnee Church Van Crash

A tire blowout is to blame for a church van full of kids rolling off the highway.

Emergency crews rushed in to treat seven kids and two adults who were hurt when the First Fire Church van rolled off the Will Rogers Turnpike near mile marker 270, Monday afternoon.

"It was so horrible," said Rayleigh Robertson.

Robertson is only 5-years-old and was asleep in her car seat at the time of the accident. She was startled awake when the van rolled. The seatbelt left a rash across her chest, but the injury was minor compared to other passengers.

"One of my friends were (sic) bleeding right here [head]," Robertson said she tried to comfort her friends. "I said it's ‘OK. Don’t be scared. All of us got hurt.’"

A stranger, the first person to call 911, also called Robertson's mother Eliza.

"I told the man, I said, ‘Keep her there and keep her safe. We are on our way,’" said Eliza Robertson.

Eliza is the church's youth leader and was driving a second van. The church was making a trip from Shawnee to Missouri for a youth rally.

7/27/2015 Related Story: 5 Released From Hospital After Church Van Wrecks On Will Rogers Turnpike

Eliza said when she arrived to the scene she was told a blowout caused the crash. It was the second blowout of the day.

Eliza explained she had already repaired the rear passenger wheel on the van that day. And she said all the wheels were checked before the trip. So, they were all mystified by what happened.

"We give all the glory to God, because there is no way those kids made it through that accident just because. So we know they had their guardian angels," said Eliza.

And her daughter agreed. Rayleigh Robertson said she prayed about what happened and knows God was with her when her mommy couldn't be.

"He kept me safe," said Robertson.

Meanwhile, three children are still in recovery at St. Francis hospital.

Eliza said a 7-year-old girl is dealing with an injury to her collar bone and two teenaged boys have injuries to their legs.

The church is still trying to make the trip to the youth camp but needs some help.

Learn how you can help the group.