State Highway 33 Reopened After Crash Involving Prisoner Transport Bus Near Perkins

A crash involving a bus used to transport prisoners temporarily closed of a section of State Highway 33 on Wednesday in Payne County, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation said the crash happened between US-177 and State Highway 108, and all eastbound and westbound lanes of SH-33 were closed as a result.

According to OHP, the driver of a pickup truck attempted to pass another vehicle approximately 2.5 miles east of Perkins on SH-33 and struck the front of the prisoner transport bus, causing the bus to veer off the road into a ravine.

37 inmates were on board the bus, 10 of whom were transported to local hospitals. The remaining 27 inmates were moved back to the Cimarron Correctional Facility in Cushing.

The driver of the pickup did not have to be taken to the hospital, OHP says.

The roadway has since been reopened.