A grandmother and two of her grandchildren are dead after a pickup driven by a 17-year-old Durango boy rear-ended their vehicle on an Oklahoma highway last weekend, authorities said.
According to Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper Dwight Durant, smoke from a grass fire Saturday closed the Turner Turnpike between Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
Around 1:30 p.m., eastbound traffic was stopped near the Wellston exit, about 40 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.
According to Durant, the pickup truck failed to slow and slammed into the rear of a stopped SUV, pushing it into the two vehicles in front of it.
The woman driving the SUV and her two grandchildren died, Durant said, adding that a third child was injured. He declined to release the names of the victims.
The Oklahoman reported the victims were Linda Danette Smith Irie, 50; Brooklyn Estelle Newville, 9; and Jace Braxton Newville, 5.
The news report said the third child was a cousin, Isabella Anthony, 6, who was flown to the Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City, treated and released.
The report indicates the family was traveling to buy a baby lamb for Easter photo shoots. Irie owned a local photography studio that offers portraits, weddings and other events.
“They were such beautiful, beautiful people and this is such a devastating loss,” Aleena Olivia, a daughter, told The Oklahoman.
Durant declined to release the name of the Durango teen driver, saying the department does not release the names of juveniles.
Durant said the crash is under investigation. If charges are filed, the 17-year-old’s name would be released, he said.
According to preliminary information, Durant said the juvenile left New Mexico around 4 a.m. to visit relatives in Arkansas.
He appeared to be traveling alone, driving his guardian’s vehicle, Durant said. The teen was taken to a hospital in good condition.
No one else was seriously injured in the crash. Durant said it appeared everyone involved in the incident was wearing a seat belt.
jromeo@durangoherald.com