Shawnee Church Counts Its Blessings After Mayes County Accident

A Shawnee church group counts its blessings as five children have been released from the hospital following a crash that sent their van rolling.

Three children remain hospitalized Monday night for observation.

It happened Monday in Mayes County when a church from the Fresh Fire Outreach Center in Shawnee had a blowout on the Will Rogers Turnpike.

“My baby, my 5-year-old was actually in the van, and I just began to pray in the name of Jesus, and I knew they would be OK,” youth group leader Eliza Robertson said. “We got turned around and got to them as quick as we could, and that’s all we could do is pray and believe.”

And get to the hospital as fast as they could where several children were rushed. Two were flown there, and both were under 10 years old.

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

“Most of them had minor, broken bones,” said Elaine Comptway of the Fresh Fire Outreach Center. “They’ve already been discharged. We have two that’s medi-flighted to St.Francis in Tulsa with some injuries that they’re waiting to get fully assessed, but they’re going to be OK.”

None of the children were thrown from the van, and everyone was wearing a seat belt or in a car seat.

The youth group raised money themselves to go on the trip and left Shawnee about 7 a.m. Monday morning.

They had to deal with a blow out twice - the second sending the van careening into a ditch and overturning near an exit.

Waylon Sparks' 7-year-old niece was in that accident.

“She was in the bus, and I don’t know exactly where she was sitting,” he said.

But she's OK, and along with the others, thankful nobody was seriously hurt.

“They’re talking,” Comptway said. “They’re in good spirits.”