Local News
Deadly weekend:
Marlow woman dies near Chickasha; local teen drowns in Payne County; 10 people die in gruesome I-44 pile up
Staff and wire reports:
It was a deadly weekend in Oklahoma. Since Friday, at least 15 people died in traffic accidents, including a 31-year-old Marlow woman died Friday after a traffic collision on U.S. 81 near Chickasha.
And a Chickasha teen drowned Saturday while swimming in Payne County.
The deadliest accident occurred Saturday in northeastern Oklahoma, when a traffic pileup on I-44 claimed 10 victims.
Here is a rundown of this weekend’s traffic fatalities and drowning incident:
• Audra Lee Viola Rico, 31, of Marlow died when her southbound car crossed the center line of U.S. 81 four miles north of Chickasha and struck a northbound tractor-trailer about 2:30 p.m. Friday, according to a patrol report.
Rico died at the scene. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not identified but was not injured.
Both drivers were wearing their seat belts, troopers said.
• The horrific chain-reaction accident on Interstate 44 in far northeast Oklahoma claimed its 10th vict8m
Tina Freeman of Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Mo., confirmed on Sunday that Shelby Hayes had died.
The 35-year-old Frisco, Texas, resident was admitted to the hospital in critical condition with head, internal and external injuries stemming from Friday's crash near Miami.
A tractor-trailer headed east on the highway slammed into cars that had stopped on the highway because of a previous accident, trapping some victims in wreckage for up to nine hours.
Oklahoma City residents Oral Hooks, 69; Earlene Hooks, 63; Antonio Hooks, 42; Dione Hooks, 41; Phoenix, Ariz., residents Ricardo Reyes, 39, and Ernestina Reyes; Frisco, Texas, residents Randall Hayes, 38, and Ethan Hayes, 7, and Cynthia Olson, 55, of Crossroads, Texas, were pronounced dead on Friday.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says a routine criminal investigation is under way.
• Oklahoma City police say a motorcycle driver who was in an accident after fleeing from them has died.
Police Capt. Lisa Camacho says an officer stopped the motorcycle driver at Grand Boulevard and Harvey Avenue in south-central Oklahoma City about 9:45 p.m. Friday. When the officer began to approach the motorcycle, the driver took off.
Camacho says officers found the motorcycle at Grand and Santa Fe Avenue. The driver was taken to OU Medical Center, where he died.
He was identified as Lamont Elkins but authorities were still trying determine an age and address.
• A 55-year-old Texas man is dead following a two-vehicle collision in Choctaw County.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says Randy Wayne Johns of Paris, Texas, was killed in Friday's night's crash. Troopers say he was pronounced dead at the scene due to multiple injuries.
The collision occurred at 11:05 p.m. on U.S. Highway 70, about 3.5 miles east of Hugo. Troopers say the victim's vehicle was westbound when it veered left of center and then swerved to the right to avoid a collision with an oncoming eastbound vehicle.
But the patrol says the two vehicles collided head-on. The victim was pinned in the wreckage for about one hour.
• A 26-year-old motorcyclist has died after an accident on State Highway 1 in Pontotoc County.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says Danny Collins of Ada died in the crash about one mile south of Latta that happened about 1 p.m. Friday.
Troopers say Collins was exceeding the speed limit when his motorcycle ran off the road for an unknown reason and went into a slide. Collins was ejected.
He was taken by helicopter to OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City, where troopers say he died at 4:22 p.m. Friday.
• Randy Wayne Johns, 55, of Paris, Texas died while driving west on U.S. 70, east of Hugo, when his vehicle crossed the center line and struck an eastbound vehicle about 11 p.m. Friday, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said. Johns died at the scene. The driver of the other vehicle, Lauren Marie Larres, 18, of Elgin, and her passenger, Jordan James Denton, 18, of Ponca City, were flown to Texas hospitals in critical condition, the patrol said. Johns’ passenger, Christopher Lynn Haley, 30, of Arthur City, Texas, was flown to a Texas hospital with multiple injuries, the patrol said. All were wearing seat belts, troopers said.
•Cynthia D. Hancock, 54, Stilwell, was driving west on State Highway 51, four miles east of Stilwell in Adair County, when she lost control of her carand struck a tree just before noon Saturday, the patrol said.
Authorities say three people were killed when their car went out of control and struck a tree in northeast Norman.
The names of those killed early Sunday were not immediately released, pending notification of family members. Norman police said two people in the car were pronounced dead at the scene and a third died at Norman Regional Hospital.
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Transformations
What comes to mind when you think of the word, “Transformation”?Do you have fantastic thoughts of people or things changing into something amazing for example, Clark Kent turning into Superman or Bruce Banner becoming the Incredible Hulk or possibly something a little more down to earth like a caterpillar miraculously changing into the beautiful butterfly?
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GRADY COUNTY FAIR RESULTS
Plants
Potted Plants
(Several varieties combined)
First: (Adult) Ann O'Bar
Second: (Adult) Joyce Riker
Third: (Adult) Jallane Link -
AROUND THE AREA
SEPTEMBER 2
Poetry Reading
• When: Sept. 2, 7 p.m.
• Where: Eduardo’s Mexican Restaurant, Private Room, 3127 S. 4th St., Chickasha
• Details: Featured Poet is Carol Hamilton, writer, storyteller and Poet Laureate of Oklahoma 1995-97Hamilton’s website is www.carolhamilton.org. There is no admission fee to attend the Poetry Reading, and refreshments are available for purchase. For more information, contact Rockford Johnson, 224-0160 or 317-7506. -
Duncan nips Chicks for straight-game win
Duncan got their eighth match win of the season Tuesday, beating Nancy Waters’ Lady Chicks in straight games at the Activity Center.
The Chicks looked like they had a little hangover from Monday night’s tough road loss at Tecumseh, coming out flat again and dropping their first two games by identical 25-17 scores.
They came out firing on all eight cylinders for game three, running out to a 15-9 lead on the strength of a 7-0 run with Shelby Crosley serving, but the Demons battled back to tie it late and the Chicks let it slip away, 25-21. -
STATE SPORTS BRIEFS
NORMAN (AP) — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has named walk-on Patrick O'Hara as the starting place-kicker for the seventh-ranked Sooners.
Stoops said on his radio show Tuesday night that O'Hara won the competition with Jimmy Stevens, freshman Michael Hunnicutt and redshirt freshman Bryce Easley. -
OSU's Gundy still learning on job
STILLWATER (AP) — Mike Gundy hasn't lost his love for dialing up the right play to keep Oklahoma State's offense purring along.
That passion, which he has called the most enjoyable part of his job as head coach, was bred into him as an offensive coordinator. And he is a former starting quarterback for the Cowboys. -
Whimsical metal work, jewelry part of big art show at USAO
A showing of whimsical metal work and jewelry is scheduled to be on display at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma during Helen’s Show Sept. 10-Oct 1.
The show will feature the work of USAO graduate Helen Shafer. The exhibition will be open daily during normal business hours in the Davis Hall Third Floor Art Gallery on the USAO campus. The show is free and open to the public. An opening reception is scheduled Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. in the gallery. -
High-speed chase lands 1 in jail
A high-speed motorcycle chase down Highway 81 last Wednesday landed a Ninnekah man in jail and a felony charge of eluding a police officer.
Court records show that James William Hutchins, 21, blew by Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Timothy Parrish at U.S. Highway 81 and County Road 1460 and was clocked going 144 miles per hour in a posted 70 miles per hour zone.
Parrish reported that he was sitting stationary at that location at about 3:45 p.m. on Aug. 25 when he observed a red motorcycle traveling southbound. He engaged his emergency lights and siren and pulled onto the roadway behind the Triumph motorcycle. -
5 inmates denied parole
Parole was recently denied for five Grady County inmates serving sentences with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
The following individuals were denied at the August Pardon and Parole Board meeting:
• Jeremiah Daniel Cline, who is serving a five-year sentence for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance and a five-year sentence for possession of a controlled dangerous substance, began his sentence in August 2008.
• Warren P. Diego, who is serving a 15-year sentence (10 years PTS) for lewd molestation, began his sentence in February 2009. -
Judge recuses herself from pharmacy case
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A state district judge has stepped aside from the first-degree murder trial of a pharmacist accused in the fatal shooting of an unconscious would-be robber.
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Transformations
