COLMAN, SD — Three students from Flandreau Public Schools were among four people killed in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 29 in Moody County on the evening of October 26. The Moody County Sheriff’s Office, Colman Fire Department, Flandreau Ambulance and the South Dakota Highway Patrol all responded to the injury accident.
School officials said the loss has shaken the district and the broader community. To give parents time to speak with their children and process the news, Flandreau Public Schools planned a 10 a.m. start on Tuesday, October 27.
Emergency crews respond to fatal Interstate 29 wreck
Authorities said the crash involved multiple vehicles and turned deadly quickly. Four people died in the wreck, including the three students identified by the school district. No additional details about the sequence of events, the ages of the victims or the cause of the collision were included in the initial information released by officials.
The response brought together law enforcement, fire crews and medical personnel from across the area. The Moody County Sheriff’s Office led the local response, with help from the Colman Fire Department, Flandreau Ambulance and the South Dakota Highway Patrol.
Flandreau schools delay the morning schedule
Flandreau Public Schools said the later start time was meant to give families space to talk with their children before class and to help them begin processing the deaths together. The district said the adjustment would also allow students and staff to arrive after having time to absorb the news at home.
School leaders did not frame the change as a long closure, but as a practical step during a difficult morning. The schedule shift was set specifically for Tuesday, October 27, after the fatal wreck late the previous evening.
Counselors and ministers available for students and staff
The district said counseling staff would be on hand when classes resumed. Members of the Ministerial Association and other counseling resources were also expected to be available for students, teachers and school employees who needed support.
Officials described the situation as difficult for everyone involved, extending beyond the school community to families, first responders and others affected by the crash. The district’s message emphasized care, grief support and the need to help children through a traumatic event.
Community grief extends beyond the school district
Because the victims were students, the crash quickly became a devastating event for families, classmates and staff in Flandreau. The school district’s response reflected how closely tied the community is to the loss, with counseling and ministerial support arranged in anticipation of students returning to class.
The incident also placed a heavy emotional burden on the emergency responders who arrived at the scene. The district said its thoughts and prayers were with the families, school staff, first responders and others involved in any way.
What remains unknown about the crash investigation
Officials have not yet released information about what caused the crash or how the vehicles collided. They also did not provide the names of the victims in the initial notice, beyond confirming that three of the four people who died were students at Flandreau Public Schools.
For now, the focus has shifted to support for the school community and the families affected. Any additional findings about the collision would come from the agencies responding to the scene, including the sheriff’s office and the South Dakota Highway Patrol.