Charges were filed Tuesday in Sequoyah County District Court in Sallisaw against Kelly Shane Fitzsimmons, 37, who police say was driving with a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit when the fatal wreck occurred.
The wreck was north of the State Highway 141 intersection on U.S. Highway 59 south of Sallisaw. Fitzsimmons was driving a 1988 Chevrolet truck when he drove left of the center line and collided with a southbound 2001 GMC Yukon, driven by Stephen Radcliff, 28, of Idabell, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP).
Heather Martin, 34, of College Station, Texas, was pinned for about an hour under the pickup Fitzsimmons was driving, and she was pronounced dead at the scene, the OHP reported. Radcliff, his wife, and their four children were also injured in the accident, along with Fitzsimmons.
Walters reported that everyone, except Martin, was wearing their seatbelts at the time of the accident.
The charges say that a blood sample was taken from Fitzsimmons before he was taken to the hospital. It was reported that Fitzsimmons' blood-alcohol level was .3. The maximum blood-alcohol level allowed by law is .08.
According to court records, Fitzsimmons allegedly admitted to OHP Trooper Dewayne Walters that he had been drinking before the accident, but he didn't remember how many beers he had. He also said he didn't remember how the wreck occurred.
