“The Pioneer Woman” Ree Drummond’s nephew is in critical condition after a crash Wednesday on the Drummond family ranch in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.
Two fire trucks crashed head-on, according to the accident report from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and one of the drivers, 21-year-old Caleb G. Drummond, was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The report said he had injuries to his "head, trunk internal, arm and leg."
The other driver, Ree's husband, Ladd Drummond, waived treatment at the scene, according to OHP.
Jerry Roberts, the director of Osage County Emergency Management, said that Drummond’s nephew was alert when he was taken to the hospital.
“When they left with him, he was talking to me, so that’s a good sign,” Roberts said. “He never opened his eyes ... but he was talking.”
Roberts said that the men had been driving their own fire trucks to battle an 800- to 900-acre brush fire on their property, and other ranchers and volunteer firefighters werer helping to put out the blaze. He said it was unclear what caused the crash, which happened after the fire was contained and they were packing up to head out.
OHP is investigating, he said, and will return to the property Thursday to investigate what caused the fire. Roberts said spring is fire season but things have been very busy the past few days because of dry conditions and high winds.
“Today, it’s been just one right after another,” he said, adding that his department had seen six fires on Wednesday. “We don’t even get through with one before there’s another one coming in."
