At least 13 people have been injured, including two in critical condition, after thousands of fans stormed the field and tore down goalposts after Oklahoma State’s 44-10 victory over archrival Oklahoma last night.
According to emergency services, spectators were trampled and one person fell 15 feet to the concrete during the wild celebrations.
No 13 Oklahoma State routed the Sooners on Saturday night to win the Big 12 championship and play for the Bowl Championship Series national title.
The Cowboys ended an eight-game losing streak with the victory and won their first outright conference title since 1948.
Michael Authement, who heads the command post at emergency medical provider LifeNet EMS, said: “They won the game and stormed the field and ripped down the goalposts and some were jumping off the stands and hit the field and others got trampled. It was a nasty deal.”
He also said fans began storming the field with about 20 seconds left in the game.
The crowd was so large that it took police 45 minutes to clear fans from the field at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater.
Michael Authement said: “There were thousands of people. Thousands of people stormed the field. You couldn’t move there were so many people.”
Fans climbed on to the yellow goalposts and tore them down amid a crush of people on the field.
Nine ambulances took 11 of the injured to hospital while two fans in critical condition had to be airlifted from the stadium.
According to emergency services, the majority of the injured suffered leg fractures and two were treated at the scene and released.
Spokeswoman for Stillwater Medical Center, Shyla Eggers, said the hospital received six of the injured in ambulances, two in private vehicles and at least two of the patients have been admitted and would undergo surgery on broken ankles.
Shyla Eggers said: “Our staff that was on hand took care of it. They were just very busy. Game day is always busy.”
Stillwater police and the Oklahoma highway patrol also had no immediate comment.
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