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27-year-old on lawn mower is fatally hit by landing airplane, Oklahoma officials say

A woman was hit and killed by an airplane near Broken Bow, Oklahoma, officials say.
A woman was hit and killed by an airplane near Broken Bow, Oklahoma, officials say. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A 27-year-old Oklahoma woman was fatally struck by an airplane while riding a lawn mower, investigators told news outlets.

The collision happened at Broken Bow Airport, a small airport in McCurtain County, on the afternoon of Sept. 29, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol told KOTV.

The 70-year-old pilot had just touched down when he spotted the woman, identified as Samantha Hayes, on the runway on a lawnmower, KFOR reported.

He tried to pull up to avoid hitting her, but she was clipped by a wing and died, investigators said, KOCO reported.

The town of Broken Bow, population 4,200, is roughly 220 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.

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This story was originally published October 1, 2023 at 4:48 PM with the headline "27-year-old on lawn mower is fatally hit by landing airplane, Oklahoma officials say."

MW
Mitchell Willetts
The State
Mitchell Willetts is a real-time news reporter covering the central U.S. for McClatchy. He is a University of Oklahoma graduate and outdoors enthusiast living in Texas.
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