A teenager was killed and two others suffered critical injuries in an intersection truck accident in Cimmaron County, News 9 reports. Officials say the accident involving a 2009 four-door Dodge pickup and a tractor trailer occurred at the intersection of US Highway 64 and state highway 171, three miles south of Keyes. Oklahoma Highway Patrol officials say the Freightliner tractor trailer was heading south on the 171 when its driver ran a stop sign at the intersection and struck the Dodge carrying five teenagers.
A 19-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene and two others were transported to an area hospital in critical condition. Two others were treated and released in local hospitals. The driver of the tractor trailer was not injured. It is not clear if any charges will be filed.
According to Oklahoma Statutes Section 11-403B, “Except when directed to proceed by a police officer or traffic control signal, every driver of a vehicle approaching a stop intersection indicated by a stop sign shall stop as required by subsection (d) of Section 11-703 of this title and after having stopped shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle which has entered the intersection from another highway or which is approaching so closely on said highway as to constitute an immediate hazard, but said driver having so yielded may proceed and the drivers of all other vehicles approaching the intersection shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle so proceeding.”
In such cases, it is important to examine why a driver failed to stop at the stop sign. Was he or she impaired, distracted, inattentive, or fatigued? It is also crucial to look into whether a dangerous condition at the intersection may have caused or contributed to the incident. Accident investigations can become lengthy and complicated.
It is crucial for injured victims and families of deceased victims to get an experienced Oklahoma fatal truck accident lawyer on their side in order to ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected.
