John Bird Dies in Telehandler Accident in Atoka County

On June 16, 2025, John B. Bird, a 41-year-old resident of Coleman, Oklahoma, was fatally injured in an accident involving a telehandler on W Crusher Rd/N3738 Rd, approximately three miles east of Coleman in Atoka County. According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Bird had parked the 2025 Gehl Telehandler on a slope and exited the vehicle, positioning himself on the downhill side. The machinery subsequently rolled a quarter turn, trapping Bird beneath it. Emergency services, including the Caney Fire Department, responded to the scene, where Bird was pronounced dead after being pinned for approximately three hours. The cause of the accident remains under investigation by Trooper Jamey Miller of the Atoka/Coal County detachment of Troop E.

The incident occurred under clear weather conditions on a gravel roadway. Bird was later transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Oklahoma City following the extraction efforts by the Caney Fire Department. Authorities have not released additional details regarding the condition of the driver at the time of the accident, and the investigation is ongoing.