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Oklahoma State softball coach Kenny Gajewski details how Cowgirls handled bus accident
TL;DR
Oklahoma State softball coach Kenny Gajewski described the emotional aftermath of a bus accident that resulted in the death of a pedestrian. The incident occurred on Interstate 35 near Perry, with Gajewski witnessing the event firsthand.
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State softball coach Kenny Gajewski went into crisis mode, then into parent mode in the immediate aftermath of an accident involving his team’s bus that resulted in the death of a pedestrian.
The Cowgirls’ bus was traveling north on Interstate 35 near Perry last week when it struck and killed a pedestrian who had been walking in traffic, according to witness accounts given to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Gajewski, sitting near the front of the bus, was one of the few who actually saw the event occur, and his brain immediately began to cycle through all the things he, as the leader of the program, needed to do.
“A coaching friend of mine texted me and just said, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about you. There’s nothing in the handbook that prepares you for this,’” Gajewski said Tuesday. “And I think there’s probably nothing in the handbook of life that prepares you for anything like this.
“You’ve got a family of somebody who is now not here. You gotta have some sort of thought about them and how all that happened.”
“I checked on our team and I checked on our driver. I can recall a few of the things I was telling him, like, ‘Are you OK? I saw what happened, it’s not your fault.’ Just making sure that he is OK. I can’t imagine what he is going through.”
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Oklahoma State coach Kenny Gajewski talks with officials before an NCAA softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls (OSU) and the Utah Utes in Stillwater, Okla., Friday, May 2, 2025.
Gajewski had his staff reach out to Kevin Andrews, a counselor at OSU who works with the Cowgirls as part of his duties. Andrews joined the team for the remainder of the trip that concluded with a three-game series at Iowa State over the weekend.
As the team sat on the bus outside Perry, Gajewski was faced with a decision. He had already called the coaching staff at Wichita State to let them know the game would not be played that night, but Gajewski had to decide whether to continue traveling to Wichita or return his team to Stillwater.
“I’m sure there’s things we did wrong, I’m sure there’s things we did right,” Gajewski said. “I”m sure of one thing: any decision we made, I wanted to make sure it was the best decision for us, not what other people thought would be good for us.”
That’s when Gajewski went into parent mode. Not as if he was the parent of his players, but if he had a child on the team. In that case, what would he want for his child in this situation?
“I wanted to make sure that whatever we did from that point forward was in good alignment with what was going to be the best thing to help these kids start to deal with what we’re going through,” Gajewski said.
He knew whatever he decided, he’d have detractors saying he did the wrong thing.
But when Gajewski thought about his players returning to their individual homes in Stillwater, then packing up and returning back up I-35 the next day, the coach believed it was best to keep the team together.
“I wanted them to be around us and Kevin and our staff, and do the things that are as normal as can be, like have a team meal and be together,” he said.
The Cowgirls continued to Wichita and ate dinner together, then practiced at Wichita State the next day before traveling to Iowa State.
“It’s tough and it’ll be tough for a long time,” Gajewski said. “It’s just amazing the outpouring of care for our girls and our staff and everybody.”
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Oklahoma State's Rosie Davis (26) celebrates a walk-off home run in the 11th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Oklahoma State's Rosie Davis (26) celebrates a walk-off home run in the 11th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Oklahoma State's Rosie Davis (26) celebrates a walk-off home run in the 11th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Oklahoma State's Ruby Meylan (66) celebrates a strike out during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Oklahoma State celebrates the walk-off home run by Rosie Davis (26) in the 11th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Oklahoma State celebrates the walk-off home run by Rosie Davis (26) in the 11th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Oklahoma State celebrates the walk-off home run by Rosie Davis (26) in the 11th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Nebraska 's Jordyn Frahm (98) throws a pitch during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Nebraska 's Jordyn Frahm (98) throws a pitch during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Oklahoma State's Ruby Meylan (66) throws a pitch during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Oklahoma State's Tia Warsop (9) celebrates a score in the 7th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Oklahoma State's Tia Warsop (9) celebrates a score in the 7th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Oklahoma State celebrates with fans following the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Oklahoma State's Aubrey Jones (7) throws to first for an out in the first inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Oklahoma State's Aubrey Jones (7) fields a ground ball in the first inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Oklahoma State 's Jayelle Austin (34) slides into second in the first inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
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Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Oklahoma State's Rosie Davis (26) celebrates a walk-off home run in the 11th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
1 / 16
Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Oklahoma State's Rosie Davis (26) celebrates a walk-off home run in the 11th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
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Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Oklahoma State's Rosie Davis (26) celebrates a walk-off home run in the 11th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
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Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Oklahoma State's Rosie Davis (26) celebrates a walk-off home run in the 11th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
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Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Oklahoma State's Ruby Meylan (66) celebrates a strike out during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
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Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Oklahoma State celebrates the walk-off home run by Rosie Davis (26) in the 11th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
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Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Oklahoma State celebrates the walk-off home run by Rosie Davis (26) in the 11th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
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Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Oklahoma State celebrates the walk-off home run by Rosie Davis (26) in the 11th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
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Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Nebraska 's Jordyn Frahm (98) throws a pitch during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
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Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Nebraska 's Jordyn Frahm (98) throws a pitch during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
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Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Oklahoma State's Ruby Meylan (66) throws a pitch during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
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Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Oklahoma State's Tia Warsop (9) celebrates a score in the 7th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
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Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Oklahoma State's Tia Warsop (9) celebrates a score in the 7th inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
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Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Oklahoma State celebrates with fans following the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
14 / 16
Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Oklahoma State's Aubrey Jones (7) throws to first for an out in the first inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
15 / 16
Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Oklahoma State's Aubrey Jones (7) fields a ground ball in the first inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
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Oklahoma State Cowgirls vs Nebraska Cornhuskers college softball, see top photos
Oklahoma State 's Jayelle Austin (34) slides into second in the first inning during the college softball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday Feb. 26, 2026.
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on X at @ScottWrightOK. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Kenny Gajewski details how OSU softball handled deadly bus accident
Q&A
What happened in the Oklahoma State softball bus accident?
The Oklahoma State softball team's bus struck and killed a pedestrian while traveling on Interstate 35 near Perry.
Who is Kenny Gajewski and what did he say about the bus accident?
Kenny Gajewski is the head coach of the Oklahoma State softball team, and he described the incident as something that no handbook prepares you for, emphasizing the emotional impact on both the team and the victim's family.
What were the immediate actions taken by Kenny Gajewski after the accident?
After the accident, Gajewski went into crisis mode to manage the situation and then shifted to a parental role to support his team emotionally.
What has been the response from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol regarding the bus accident?
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol provided witness accounts confirming that the bus struck the pedestrian who was walking in traffic, though further details on the investigation were not specified.
