September 27, 2024
The alleged driver of the semi that struck and killed a Granite man earlier this month has been formally charged in Beckham County District Court.
Court records show that 53-year-old Jesus Herrera of Hialeah, Florida, was formally charged on September 17 with one count of first-degree manslaughter and one count of transporting an open container of an alcoholic beverage.
Documents indicate that the late-night crash on September 12 resulted in the death of 54-year-old Christopher L. Rains of Granite after a collision between the semi and the car driven by Rains just south of Elk City.
Troopers with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol report that the accident occurred around 11:01 p.m. at the intersection of OK-6 and OK-152, approximately seven miles south of Elk City in Beckham County.
Authorities state that the 2016 Volvo semi-truck, driven by Herrera, failed to stop at a stop sign while traveling westbound on OK-152. The truck collided with the 2000 Ford Crown Victoria driven by Rains, who was heading southbound on OK-6. The semi struck the car on the driver’s side.
Emergency responders from the Elk City Fire Department arrived shortly after the collision but were unable to save Rains, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Herrera was unharmed.
Authorities on the scene reported smelling alcohol on Herrera. Following the investigation, alcohol and failure to stop were determined to be major factors in the crash.
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