Fatigue and heat possible factors in 10-fatality crash

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July 16, 2009

Anonymous The Joplin Globe Thu Jul 16, 2009, 09:52 PM CDT

By Roger McKinney

rmckinney@joplinglobe.com

MIAMI, Okla. — Driver fatigue may have contributed to the accident that claimed 10 lives on the Will Rogers Turnpike on June 26, a state investigator says.

But other factors, including the possibility of a cell-phone distraction or a medical condition, have not been ruled out. A final crash report may be available next week.

Authorities have determined the driver of the tractor-trailer, Donald Creed, 76, of Willard, Mo., was not impaired by alcohol or drugs and pending any new evidence to the contrary, Ottawa County District Attorney Eddie Wyant said he likely would file misdemeanor charges of negligent homicide against Creed. The penalty is up to one year in jail for each count.

Creed started his work day in Springfield, Mo., at 3 a.m. on June 26. The truck driver made deliveries all morning for Associated Wholesale Grocers in temperatures that eventually reached into the 90s.

“It’s my understanding that he may be responsible for unloading part of the load himself” at some stores, said Oklahoma Highway Patrol Capt. Scott Horton on Thursday.

Creed had made his final delivery in Vian, Okla., which is 237 miles from Springfield, and was heading back on the Will Rogers Turnpike at 1 p.m. when his truck plowed into a line of vehicles that had stopped for an earlier crash, eight miles northeast of Miami.

Ten people died in the accident, but Creed survived.

Horton said Creed had worked 10 hours when the crash occurred. Though the time is within the requirements of the law, Horton said fatigue from the long hours and heat may have contributed to the fatal crash.

Horton said he didn’t know how many deliveries Creed had made that day.

No one from Associated Wholesale Grocers returned calls to the Globe on Thursday afternoon with information about the number of deliveries Creed made or to respond to Horton’s statement.

Horton said there were no skid marks or other evidence that Creed tried to stop, but information from an on-board computer on his truck was being checked to determine if he had applied the brakes. Other truck drivers told the highway patrol that Creed’s truck didn’t slow down for the stalled traffic.

“We’re also looking to see if there was some type of distractions,” Horton said. He said that included checking Creed’s cell phone records.

“We’re also looking at the possibility of some type of medical condition that may have contributed to the accident,” Horton said. He said no indication of a medical condition had been found and that privacy laws would prevent him from releasing any information if it were to be found.

He said there was no indication Creed was impaired by alcohol or drugs.

Horton said a final crash report may be available next week.

“It will be at least another month before we have a complete investigative packet for the district attorney,” Horton said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Fatalities

Those who died in the June 26 crash were: Ricardo Reyes, 39, and Ernestina Reyes, age unknown, both of Phoenix, Ariz.; Randall Hayes, 38, Ethan Hayes, 7, and Shelby Hayes, 35, all of Frisco, Texas; Cynthia Olson, 55, of Crossroads, Texas; and Oral Hooks, 69, Earlene Hooks, 63, Antonio Hooks, 42, and Dione Hooks, 41, all of Oklahoma City.

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Fatigue and heat possible factors in 10-fatality crash

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