2 Drivers Speak Out After Crashing Into Bison In Norman

Early Saturday morning, a crash left two cars totaled and a bison dead on a highway in Norman.

According to police, it happened just after 1 a.m. near Highway 9 and SE 108th.

Nichole LaRose said she was driving down Highway 9 when she saw something in the middle of the road. She said the animal appeared out of nowhere and she hit it. The impact forced her car off the street and into some trees.

"The door on the driver's side was dented in," said LaRose. "My whole windshield was smashed."

LaRose said she was going about 55 mph when she hit the bison.

"It was horrible," said LaRose "Hitting the trees was even worse. I thought I was going to die."

Just moments later, the bison ended up in the other lane, where a second driver hit it.

"It actually sent me flying and it hit me on my roof and when I landed on the roof, I skidded about 15 to 20 feet," said Elias Barriga. "It flipped again back on my tires."

Both cars are totaled. The drivers said they had cuts and bruises but are happy things didn't end up worse. They both said they've driven down this road hundreds of times before, but never expected anything like this.

"It was a lot to take in," said Barriga. "My head was dazed at the moment; I didn't expect a buffalo. That's just something that doesn't happen every day."

According to the police report, they were able to contact the person who owns the bison. It came from a nearby ranch. 

News 9 reached out the owner and she said they've had the bison for several years now and she is still unsure how it got out.

"I do thank God we were able to walk away from it," said Barriga.