If you drive north of Durant for about 150 miles, you will come to Wellston, Oklahoma. The small Lincoln County town has a population of less than 900, but it is a part of American folklore as a stop on historic Route 66.
The town is also the site of a fatal distracted driving crash a year ago on Turner Turnpike. A 54-year-old grandmother was killed in the wreck, along with two grandchildren just 5 and 9 years old. A judge recently ruled that the teen driver who has been accused of causing the the wreck will be tried as an adult.
In March of last year, the grandmother and grandkids were on Turner Turnpike when their vehicle was violently struck from behind by a pick-up driven by a 17-year-old who was just three days away from his 18th birthday.
A TV news report states that the victims’ family members worried that the teen might be tried as a minor on the three counts of second-degree manslaughter that he faces.
A news article from last year said the woman killed in the crash ran a photography business in Norman with her daughter (the mother of the two kids killed in the crash).
“My mom was amazing, and my kids were so sweet,” said the woman who lost three people who she was closest to in one tragic moment.
The grandmother had been taking the grandkids and their cousin (a 6-year-old girl who survived the devastating wreck) to search for a lamb that could be used in photo shoots. Along the way, traffic came to a stop on the highway because of a grass fire. The 17-year-old behind the wheel of a Ford pick-up was apparently reading a text on his phone rather than watching the road and traffic.
If you or your family has been harmed by a distracted driver, speak with a skilled attorney experienced in wrongful death and personal injury litigation about justice.
