An 83-year-old Wilburton woman died Saturday afternoon after the vehicle she was riding in collided with another vehicle on U.S. 270 near Southwest 110th Road in Latimer County, Oklahoma. Kay Quinn was pronounced dead at the scene after the car she was riding in struck the driver’s side of a vehicle turning left from the county road onto the highway, according to investigators.
The crash happened around 2:55 p.m. on October 3, when Quinn was traveling northbound on US 270 as a passenger, according to KTUL. A second vehicle attempted a left turn from Southwest 110th Road onto the highway, and the car carrying Quinn struck that vehicle's driver side. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported the crash and her death.
Quinn's driver was injured in the collision, as were two other passengers riding with her, the outlet's report noted. The driver of the turning vehicle was not injured, per the same account.
What Oklahoma Law Says About the Turn
Under Oklahoma Statutes Title 47 Section 11-402, a driver making a left turn at an intersection must yield to any approaching vehicle close enough to present an immediate hazard, according to Justia Law. A related statute, Section 11-401, requires drivers entering a federal highway from a county or local road to stop and yield regardless of whether a stop sign is posted. Investigators have not said whether speed, sight-line obstructions, or distraction played a role in the turning driver's failure to yield, and no citations or charges have been publicly announced.
If the turning driver is ultimately cited, Oklahoma Statutes Title 47 Section 11-403.1 outlines what could follow: a conviction for failing to yield the right-of-way that results in death or serious injury can carry administrative fees, court fines, and a possible driver's license suspension, according to LegiScan.
A Second Fatal Wreck on the Same Corridor in Weeks
Quinn's death marks the second fatal, multi-injury crash on US 270 in Latimer County within roughly three weeks. On September 13, an 18-year-old Eastern Oklahoma State College student and soccer player, Ethan Girdner died when a vehicle struck a deer and crossed into oncoming traffic on the same highway.
US 270 stretches 477.4 miles across Oklahoma from the Kansas border to Arkansas, according to OKHighways. Quinn's crash occurred at an intersection along the highway.
Oklahoma Traffic Fatality Statistics
Oklahoma recorded 645 traffic fatalities in 2024, with a five-year fatality rate of 17.0 deaths per 100,000 residents, the 10th highest among U.S. states, per the Addison Law Firm. U.S. Census Bureau estimates from 2025 put Latimer County's population at roughly 9,645 residents with a median age of 41.9, according to USAFacts.
Quinn's crash occurred during daylight and involved two vehicles.
