A Lawton driver was injured Friday morning after attempting a U-turn from the shoulder of U.S. Highway 183 directly into the path of another vehicle traveling northbound in the same direction, sending both cars off the roadway in Custer County. Peggy A. Winstead had been driving northbound on U.S. 183 when she slowed and pulled onto the shoulder before attempting to turn around and head south, putting her vehicle in front of another northbound driver, Richard P. Stokes, who could not avoid the collision.
The wreck occurred shortly before 11:30 a.m. Friday, according to Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Matthew Littledave, as reported by The Lawton Constitution. Stokes struck Winstead's vehicle after being unable to evade it, and both vehicles then left the roadway to the right. Trooper Littledave, who is credited with investigating the crash, has previously served as lead investigator on other serious western Oklahoma wrecks, including a fatal March 2025 collision on OK-73/OK-44 near Foss in Custer County that involved a vehicle running a T-intersection and going airborne into a ditch, according to the same trooper's prior case work reported by The Henryettan.
A Maneuver Oklahoma Law Treats With Strict Scrutiny
The mechanics of Friday's crash — a driver pulling onto the shoulder before swinging back across the lane into oncoming traffic — put the incident squarely within the reach of Oklahoma's traffic code governing turning maneuvers. Under Oklahoma Statute Title 47 § 11-602, a driver is barred from turning a vehicle to travel in the opposite direction unless the movement can be completed with reasonable safety and without interfering with other traffic, a standard that specifically prohibits U-turns near curves or grade crests where visibility drops below 500 feet, according to Justia Law.
A related statute, Title 47 § 11-604, requires drivers to signal continuously for at least 100 feet before turning or changing lanes and bars any lateral movement on a roadway unless it can be executed safely, per Westlaw's rendering of the code. Because Oklahoma operates under an at-fault liability framework, whichever driver is ultimately determined to have caused the crash bears legal and financial responsibility for the resulting injuries and damage, The Handley Law Center explains, since Oklahoma requires injury claims to be filed against the at-fault driver's insurer rather than through a no-fault system.
A Corridor With a Recent History of Serious Wrecks
Friday's collision adds to a string of severe crashes on the same rural stretch of highway in recent months. In June, a two-vehicle collision on U.S. 183 about three miles north of Arapaho, also in Custer County, killed two Custer City residents and injured another driver, Hoodline reported in its earlier coverage, Custer City Couple Killed In Highway 183 Crash. That crash occurred at the intersection of U.S. 183 and East 960 Road.
Rural roads can have deficient shoulders.
A Wider Pattern of Rural Highway Crashes
Western Oklahoma's rural highways have seen other fatal incidents involving drivers from Lawton in recent months. In March, a 60-year-old Lawton driver died in a rollover crash in neighboring Beckham County after overcorrecting on a highway and being ejected from his vehicle, Hoodline reported at the time in Overnight Highway Tragedy In Rural Beckham.
Statewide, observational surveys from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office recorded seat belt compliance at 86.4% in 2024 and 85.3% in 2025, with compliance lower among pickup occupants and on local roads.
The extent of Winstead's injuries has not been detailed, and it remains unclear whether any traffic citations will be issued in connection with Friday's wreck.
