Crozier
James Crozier, entered a negotiated plea with the Sequoyah County District Attorney’s office to three counts of second-degree manslaughter June 15 in Sequoyah County District Court, Sallisaw.
In the charges filed in 2006, Crozier, 38, of Byromville, Ga., was accused of causing the deaths of Norman Winkley, 63, of El Paso, Texas; Kwinnelle Smith, 77, of Las Cruces, N.M.; and Premadonna Delaney, 61, of Odessa, Texas, in a vehicle accident on Interstate 40. The accident occurred at about 12:18 a.m. on Aug. 26, 2006.
In the initial report filed by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP), the investigating troopers reported Crozier was driving a 1987 Peterbilt truck west on the interstate when his truck went across the median and struck a 2006 Toyota Corolla driven by Winkley. After striking Winkley’s vehicle, the truck then hit a bridge pillar. The impact killed all three people in the Toyota.
Crozier was taken by helicopter to St. Edward Mercy Medical Center in Fort Smith, Ark., and suffered a leg injury, the OHP reported.
According to the OHP report, Crozier was described as “sleepy,” and the cause of the collision was listed as inattentive driving.
In the information filed with the charges, Lt. Damon Tucker with the OHP reported troopers reconstructed the accident. He said that Crozier drove into the oncoming lanes while hauling farm equipment. Tucker noted that Crozier was transporting farm machinery at night, which is a violation of state law.
Trooper Russell Knoke’s investigation indicated that Crozier had three violations, including being in possession of alcohol while driving, being fatigued while driving, and filing a false driver’s duty log. It was reported that no alcohol was found in Crozier’s blood.
According to court records Crozier has no prior felony convictions. Crozier received a minimum of two years with a maximum of four in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
