A quiet South Dakota community has been devastated after three schoolgirls were killed and a fourth critically injured when an elderly driver traveled the wrong way down a busy interstate, triggering a catastrophic three-vehicle collision.
The horrifying crash occurred Monday night, October 26, on Interstate 29 near Colman, where an 88-year-old Minnesota man driving a pickup truck slammed head-on into a minivan carrying four girls between the ages of 12 and 16.
Within seconds, the collision turned deadly, claiming the lives of three students and the elderly driver while leaving another young girl fighting for survival.
The victims were students at Flandreau Public Schools, a small district now mourning a heartbreaking loss that has shaken families, classmates and teachers throughout the community.
According to the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the crash unfolded around 8:35 p.m., approximately 10 miles north of Colman in Moody County.
Investigators said Arthur Anthony Wilber, 88, of Hendricks, Minnesota, was driving a 2020 Ford Ranger northbound in the southbound lanes of Interstate 29 when he approached a 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan traveling in the correct direction.
The minivan, driven by a 15-year-old Flandreau girl, was attempting to pass a semitruck when the wrong-way pickup suddenly appeared in its path.
The two vehicles collided head-on, setting off a devastating chain reaction.
Moments after the initial impact, the minivan was struck by the semitruck, causing the larger vehicle to jackknife across the highway.
The force of the collision threw all four girls from the minivan, leaving emergency crews facing a catastrophic scene when they arrived.
The 15-year-old driver and two passengers, ages 12 and 16, died from their injuries.
A fourth girl, also 12, survived but suffered life-threatening injuries and was rushed to a hospital in Sioux Falls for emergency treatment.
Wilber was also thrown from his pickup and died at the scene. The 59-year-old semitruck driver, who was wearing his seat belt, escaped without injury.
Authorities confirmed that none of the four girls or the elderly pickup driver had been wearing seat belts at the time of the collision.
The crash forced officials to close the southbound lanes of Interstate 29 for approximately six hours while emergency responders assisted the victims, cleared the wreckage and began investigating what went wrong.
Police have not determined why Wilber was driving in the wrong direction or how long he had been traveling against traffic before the collision.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol continues investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
For the small town of Flandreau, however, the consequences were immediate and heartbreaking.
Three young lives had been cut short, while another child remained hospitalized with critical injuries.
Flandreau Public Schools announced a delayed start the following morning to give parents time to speak with their children about the tragedy and allow the community to begin processing the loss.
The district also arranged counseling services for students, teachers and staff, recognizing that the deaths would affect nearly everyone connected to the schools.
In an emotional statement, school officials encouraged families to support one another and seek help as they navigate the difficult days ahead.
The Moody County Sheriff’s Office also expressed condolences to the victims’ families, friends, classmates and first responders who witnessed the aftermath.
Local residents described the loss as almost impossible to comprehend in a community where families are closely connected.
Flandreau Mayor Dan Sutton acknowledged that the deaths of young people are particularly devastating because of the futures they never had the chance to experience.
The tragedy has also prompted an outpouring of support for the grieving families.
The Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains launched a fundraising campaign to help cover funeral expenses and ease the financial burden facing loved ones.
The organization said the three girls had been part of its extended family, and their deaths had deeply affected everyone from its youngest members to teenagers and staff.
“We have lost members of our Club family,” the organization said, explaining that it wanted families to be able to focus on grieving and remembering their loved ones rather than worrying about immediate expenses.
Community members are also organizing a candlelight vigil for Friday, October 30, at 7 p.m. at the Flandreau football field.
The gathering will honor the three girls who lost their lives while offering support and hope for the surviving 12-year-old, whose condition remains a major concern for friends and relatives.
As investigators continue examining why the elderly driver entered the interstate in the wrong direction, the tragedy has renewed attention to the dangers of head-on highway collisions.
Such crashes can be especially deadly because vehicles traveling toward each other combine their closing speeds, leaving drivers little time to recognize the danger or take evasive action.
For the families involved, though, the technical details cannot capture the magnitude of what happened.
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