A 63-year-old man and a 77-year-old woman, both from Springfield, Missouri, died Thursday afternoon after their car crossed the center line on a rain-slicked road and slammed into a semi-truck in Wagoner County. The semi-truck driver walked away uninjured, while a third passenger in the car was released at the scene.
According to News On 6, troopers said Paul Simmons was driving around 1 p.m. on U.S. 69 near East 690 Road when he lost control of his vehicle on the wet roadway. Simmons crossed the center line and crashed head-on into the semi-truck, troopers said. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported that both Simmons and his passenger, Connie Johnson, died in the crash.
Two Missouri Residents Identified
The station's report identifies Simmons as a 63-year-old resident of Springfield, Missouri, and Johnson as a 77-year-old passenger also from Springfield. Troopers said the semi-truck driver was not injured in the collision. The crash remains under investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Second Fatal Crash Near Wagoner in Weeks
Thursday's crash marks the second deadly collision involving a semi-truck near Wagoner in recent weeks. On Aug. 22, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a semi-truck on U.S. 69, according to KTUL. That crash happened at 5:42 a.m. about 1.5 miles north of West 90th Street, when the semi-truck, driven by 28-year-old Austin Hess, was traveling northbound and struck a pedestrian who was walking in the roadway. The pedestrian's identity was unknown, and Hess was not injured.
No further details about the condition of the surviving passenger in Thursday's crash have been released. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has not indicated whether citations or other enforcement actions are pending as the investigation continues.
