A 20-year-old Maramec man died Saturday after his car left its lane on U.S. 412 in Pawnee County, crossed into the median, struck a cable barrier and rolled, coming to rest on its passenger side in the outside eastbound lane. Ethan Ware was ejected from the vehicle during the crash, according to authorities.
Ware had been driving westbound on U.S. 412 near North 312th West Avenue when the crash occurred, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, as reported by KTUL. A witness to the crash told investigators that Ware's car failed to stay in its lane before it veered into the median.
Law enforcement said the car then struck a cable barrier and rolled, according to the same report. Troopers said Ware was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, and he was ejected as the vehicle came to rest on its passenger side in the outside eastbound lane of the highway.
A Familiar Stretch Of Highway
Pawnee County has seen other fatal wrecks tied to U.S. 412 over the years. In December 2009, 54-year-old Tony A. Crow of Sand Springs died after a pickup he was riding in went into a broadslide and rolled once on the northbound U.S. 412 service road at the Bears Glen exit, according to The Oklahoman.
In that earlier crash, the driver, 26-year-old Larry W. Snider II, reportedly took the exit too fast for the curve. Crow was thrown from the pickup and died at the scene, and troopers said at the time that neither man in the vehicle was wearing a seat belt.
What Remains Unknown
Details about Saturday's crash remain limited. No information has been released about the exact time of the wreck, and there is no confirmation of whether anyone else was involved or injured. Authorities have not offered an explanation for why Ware's car left its lane before the fatal chain of events unfolded.
