STILLWATER, Okla. — The hospital that treated more than three dozen people after the deadly car crash at Oklahoma State’s homecoming parade will not bill the patients for their treatment.
Stillwater Medical Center said Wednesday that patients won’t be billed or held liable for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the emergency room or during hospital stays if they were admitted for treatment after the Oct. 24 crash.
Four people were killed and dozens were injured when a car went around a barricade and crashed into crowds gathered for the parade. The car’s driver has been charged with second-degree murder and assault.
“We know this has been a very difficult time for our patients and our community,” Stillwater Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Jerry Moeller said in a news release. “We wanted to do our best to ease the minds of the victims from the tragic event.”
Moeller said private insurance companies won’t be billed for the services, either. The Stillwater News Press reported that the hospital treated 38 patients after the crash with an average emergency room charge of $3,031.
Collett Campbell, whose 12-year-old son Alleyn was injured in the crash, said she was shocked and pleased to hear the news, noting that her family’s health insurance carries a $6,000 deductible.
“This is huge for us,” she said. “I would not have thought a hospital could do that.”
Campbell said her son will need close monitoring and regular X-rays because a growth plate in his leg was damaged.
The hospital said it will work on a case-by-case basis with patients who need follow-up care and services such as rehabilitation.