In the chilly early hours of Saturday morning, tragedy struck on Interstate 35 near Guthrie when a vehicle collision with a deer led to a cascade of further incidents, ending in the loss of two lives. According to News 9, around 2 a.m., a northbound sedan collided with a deer on Interstate-35. Following the collision, when the sedan's occupants exited to inspect the damage, a semi truck struck both individuals on the roadway.
Lamentably, the two individuals, identified as 23-year-old Payton Kaminskas and 40-year-old Jason Kaminskas from Enid, did not survive the sequence of events. Following the impact with the semi, their car was hit again, this time by an SUV, causing the SUV to roll. The SUV's occupants sustained minor injuries, according to details released by OKC Fox, and the two men were pronounced dead at the scene.
The calamitous incident prompted authorities to shut down the northbound lanes of I-35 for over eight hours as crews worked to clear the wreckage, leading to diverted traffic and extensive delays. Information provided by KOCO details that the roadway eventually reopened after the crash site was managed.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has taken on the investigation to discern the full sequence of events and contributing factors in this fatal crash. As the community grapples with this sudden loss, the accident serves as a grave reminder of the risks present, even in seemingly mundane acts such as inspecting vehicular damage along a highway.
