Minco Parents, Players Speak Out After Softball Bus Crash: ‘Like a War Zone’

Julie Bilderback received an alert on her phone from her Life360 app notifying her of a crash.

At around 8 p.m. on Monday, a school bus carrying 18 members of the Minco High School softball team hit a deer before leaving the road and rolling over once.

Bilderback's daughter, Presley, was on the bus.

The crash happened just outside of Minco, Bilderback grabbed her keys and rushed to the scene of the accident and what she saw was a parent's worst nightmare. She described it as "a war zone."

“It was awful, my worst nightmare, any parent’s worst nightmare,” Bilderback told CBS affiliate KWTV in Oklahoma City. “Girls were moaning, screaming, crying. They were covered in blood. The coaches were down and in pretty bad shape.”

Luckily, Life360 notified 911 simultaneously and first responders arrived on the scene rather quickly.

“It was able to call 911, the firefighters, and the ambulances to the scene,” Bilderback added. “I’ve never seen such a great response.”

Presley was one of two players not ejected from the bus but she was injured and was taken to a local hospital to be checked out.

Not how I thought the after game would look like. Thankful we all lived after the crash! #mincosoftball Thank you God for your protection. @OklahomanSports @cschmidt054 @IWasAtTheGame @xx_xyathletics @LXTdad @barstoolsports @EnidBruins2 @ConnectSports_ @CoastRecruits… pic.twitter.com/vsbvMA7Tgp
— Presley Bilderback 2028 (@bilderback3232) September 9, 2025

“She’s hurting pretty bad, she’s shaken up, bruised, and in a lot of pain,” Bilderback said. “But she’s doing better than a few of the other girls.”

As of Wednesday morning, no casualties were reported. However, Bilderback did acknowledge that injuries and trauma are something her daughter will deal with moving forward.

“God had his hand and his protection on these girls and these coaches,” she said. “We love our softball family. We love our coaches.”

Community Gathers for Prayer Vigil

At the Minco softball field on Tuesday night, parents, students, and community members gathered for a prayer vigil.

Isa Almeida of The Oklahoman described the softball complex as small, with "just two, compact stands, but both were full, with dozens of others standing on the field or just outside the backstop."

Community members pray during a prayer vigil for softball players and coaches involved in the Minco bus crash. — Community members pray during a prayer vigil for softball players and coaches involved in the Minco bus crash at the Minco softball field in Minco, Okla., Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Almeida also mentioned the scene in the dugout.

"There were hugs — lots of hugs — and long, emotional embraces as the players cried and held onto each other in a mix of gratitude and disbelief. Some were on crutches, others in arm slings. For many of them, the emotional toll was worse than the physical injuries."

OU Softball's Patty Gasso Offers Support

Several significant figures in the state of Oklahoma have offered their love and support for the Minco but Oklahoma Sooners head coach Patty Gasso posted on social media on Tuesday night.

Heartbroken for Minco Softball. Our OU Softball family is praying over every player, coach, and family. Grateful for the first responders and medical teams. Stay strong Minco- we are here for you!
— Patty Gasso (@GassoPatty) September 10, 2025

"Heartbroken for Minco Softball," Gasso stated on X. "Our OU Softball family is praying over every player, coach, and family. Grateful for the first responders and medical teams. Stay strong Minco- we are here for you!"