An Oklahoma Highway Patrol Accident Encourages Texting Bill Amendment

By: Megan Bell

A man is charged with first-degree manslaughter after he allegedly hit and killed an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper the evening of Jan. 31.

Troopers Nicholas Dees and Keith Burch were investigating an overturned semi on Interstate 40 when they were struck by an oncoming vehicle.

Dees died at the scene, and Burch was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

The driver, Steven Wayne Clark, was updating his social media pages at the time of the wreck.

State Rep. and former highway patrol trooper, Mike Christian said he wants to amend an anti-texting-while-driving bill pending in the Legislature.

“Hopefully, this incident will raise the type of awareness we need to bring an end to texting while driving,” Christian said.

The amendment is to House Bill 1965 which would prohibit texting, emailing or using instant messaging while driving.

You can read the House Bill in its entirety here: House Bill 1965 Oklahoma Legislature.