Mollie Buffington, Claire Amelia Esmond Obituary, Death – Holland Hall, a private school in south Tulsa, has identified the two students who tragically lost their lives in a car crash last week. The victims, Mollie Buffington, 17, and Claire Amelia Esmond, 16, were juniors at the school and members of the field hockey team. The crash occurred near 91st Street and Riverside Parkway on the night of February 13. A third student, who was driving the vehicle, was critically injured and remains hospitalized.
The accident happened around 9:45 p.m. when the Tesla the students were traveling in veered off the road near 9000 S. Riverside Parkway. Witnesses reported the incident, prompting a rapid response from Tulsa emergency services. With assistance from a Tulsa Police Department helicopter, officers located the wrecked vehicle in Joe Creek. Tulsa Fire Department responders had to cut a significant portion of the car’s roof to free the driver, who was then rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Following the tragic accident, Holland Hall canceled classes for its Upper School the following day. The school also provided chaplains and counselors to support grieving students and staff. In a statement sent late Tuesday, Holland Hall Head of School JP Culley expressed deep sorrow over the loss.
“We are holding our community close as we mourn our beloved students, Mollie Buffington and Claire Esmond, and continue to pray for our student who is still hospitalized,” Culley said. “We welcome prayers for our students, families, faculty, and staff.”
Esmond’s funeral service is scheduled for 1 p.m. on March 1 at BattleCreek Church-Midtown. Arrangements are being handled by Fitzgerald Ivy and Southwood Colonial funeral homes. In honor of her memory, Esmond’s family has requested that, instead of flowers, donations be made to New Life Ranch.
The crash remains under investigation, and further details about what led to the vehicle leaving the roadway have not yet been released. The entire Holland Hall community, along with friends and family of the victims, continues to mourn the devastating loss of two young lives.
