The tractor-trailer that rammed against the bus carrying the women's softball team of North Central Texas College and killed four of its passengers reportedly showed no indication of stopping or breaking to avoid the crash, disclosed federal investigators on Sunday.

The collision took the life of four members of the women's softball team and injured a dozen. According to investigating officials, an 18-wheeler truck drove unswervingly through the Interstate 35 median and collided with the bus carrying the students on Friday.

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"Basically, the general trajectory from the beginning of the roadway departure all the way to the collision and then onward into the trees was basically a straight line," stated a National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt.

Investigators shared that the truck was going northbound via Interstate 35 on Friday night. The roadway had a slightly rightwards curve, but the truck driver failed to adjust accordingly and drove straight. The vehicle veered roughly 820 feet through the interstate median and hit the bus traveling south that carried the community college's women football team.

Despite ramming against the driver side of the other vehicle, however, the 18-wheeler still had not come to a stop. It went on for another 300 feet, traversing the lanes bound south, and plowing trees in the process.  

Preliminary findings reveal that there was no problem with the brakes of the truck. However, investigators are still in the process of downloading the data recorder of the 18-wheeler to determine whether the brakes were applied or not.

In an interview with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers, the 53-year-old truck driver Russell Staley claimed that he was distracted while driving.

"He (Staley) said he was distracted by something in the cabin," disclosed Oklahoma Highway Patrol Capt. Ronnie Hampton. However, investigators refuted requests to define the distraction described by the driver.

The victims who died due to the collision were identified as 18-year-old Katelynn Woodlee, 19-year-old Meagan Richardson, and 20-year-olds Brooke Deckard and Jaiden Pelton.

Two injured victims are still in the hospital. They were identified as 18-year-old Bailey Buchanan, who was said to be in critical condition and confined at Oklahoma University Medical Center, and 19-year-old Rachel Hitt, who was declared to be in stable condition and is staying at Norman Regional Hospital.

No one had been arrested in connection with the incident as of Saturday. Working together to solve the case are teams from the National Transportation Safety Board and Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

TagsOklahoma, North Central Texas, truck, collision, college