The criminal case over a high-speed Glenpool collision that injured five teenagers ended without a trial after the accused driver died. The three Ethington brothers injured in the Feb. 13 crash are still facing recovery and further medical care, according to Sapulpa Times.
The teenagers were traveling in a Toyota Prius at 201st Street and U.S. 75 on their way to a Valentine’s Day dance. All five survived. Sapulpa Times, citing the Glenpool police report, says the Prius stopped at a stop sign before beginning to cross the highway. Crash data cited in the report recorded the oncoming Ford Explorer at 107.5 mph five seconds before impact and 98.8 mph half a second before impact, with no braking detected.
The criminal case produced no verdict
Prosecutors charged Nichole Marie Hays with felony DUI causing great bodily injury and reckless driving. Detective Corporal Taylor Mitchell of the Glenpool Police Department said Hays had a benzodiazepine in her system, Sapulpa Times reported. Hays reportedly told police she took pain medication as needed for an earlier injury but had not taken any on the day of the crash. She pleaded not guilty and was never convicted.
Hays was arrested in Okmulgee County on an outstanding warrant tied to the crash, KTUL reported. Her preliminary hearing was scheduled for Oct. 13, but she died on Oct. 8. At the state’s request, both charges were dismissed Oct. 19 because of her death. The dismissal ended the prosecution without a trial or verdict; it did not determine the civil claims.
The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office cautions that its crash data do not quantify drug impairment: a positive drug test alone does not establish that a drug caused or impaired a driver in a particular crash. That limitation applies to interpreting crash statistics and does not resolve what happened in this case; the charges against Hays were dismissed before trial. (Oklahoma Highway Safety Office alcohol-and-drug crash facts.)
State and national figures offer context, not an explanation
Oklahoma’s 2021 Highway Safety Crash Facts table lists 206 speed-related fatalities statewide. The agency says speed-related crash results for 2020 and 2021 used a different methodology than earlier years, so they should not be used to infer a trend. The statewide fatality count is context only: it does not measure or explain this nonfatal collision. (Oklahoma Highway Safety Office.)
Nationally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2023 speeding fact sheet reports 11,775 deaths in speeding-related crashes, 29% of all traffic fatalities that year. Those figures describe fatal crashes across the country, not the circumstances or outcome of the Glenpool crash. (NHTSA 2023 speeding fact sheet.)
Recovery and civil questions remain
The three Ethington brothers sustained significant injuries, Sapulpa Times reported. Alex has undergone three surgeries and still needs additional procedures; Isaac suffered a complete pelvic fracture and continues to have difficulty walking long distances; Joshua sustained pelvic fractures and a fractured vertebra and recently finished physical therapy. The outlet reports that their recovery and medical costs remain ongoing.
The families sued Hays in April, alleging negligence, but they do not know whether the civil case can continue after her death, according to Sapulpa Times. The outlet reported that the insurer offered $50,000 to cover the five teenagers’ injuries combined and would not replace the destroyed Prius. That reported offer is not, by itself, a determination of what the families may recover. Oklahoma’s general minimum liability requirement is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage; the state minimum does not establish Hays’s specific policy terms or the outcome of the families’ claims. (Oklahoma Insurance Department.)
