A Claremore man, Jerry Dean Luton III, has been sentenced to 84 months in prison. The charges include involuntary manslaughter and assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported.
The 35-year-old collided with the vehicle of Timothy Austin and his wife while driving impaired and without a license in August 2023, according to court documents. The head-on crash caused by Luton claimed Austin's life and left his partner of five decades with severe injuries. Investigations revealed that Luton had alcohol, methamphetamine, and marijuana in his system at the time of the incident. Following the sentencing by U.S. District Judge John D. Russell, Luton will also face three years of supervised release after completing his prison term.
Being a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Luton was allowed to remain on bond and will voluntarily surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, as reported in a statement obtained by the U.S Attorney's Office. After serving his sentence, he will be subject to the stipulated supervised release period.
The case was a combined investigative effort spearheaded by the FBI and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew P. Cyran carried out the prosecution of the case. It's a stark reminder of the devastation that impaired driving can impart on families and communities, leaving scars that outlast even the judicial sentences handed down, in cases such as these.
