On Saturday, Oklahomans gathered to celebrate the 2015 Homecoming at Oklahoma State University watched in horror as a car careened through a crowd gatheredto watch the homecoming parade.
The collision left four people dead--three at the scene and another who died later of internal injuries. Dozens more were injured--several remain in criticalcondition as of this writing.
Witnesses and those who heard reports of the crash were left with many questions: Was the driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol? Did the driversuffer a medical event such as a seizure, causing loss of control of the vehicle? Was the crash intentional, designed to terrify and horrify the public?
As details started to emerge, it seemed that these questions would remain unanswered for a time.
Police arrested the driver, identified as 25-year-old Adacia Chambers, at the scene. Because she was not transported to the hospital for evaluation, andbecause she walked away on her own two feet, it seems unlikely that police suspected a medical event led to the crash.
Chambers was arrested on suspicion of DUI, with officers saying there was probable cause to suspect intoxication. However, her history does not seem toindicate drug or alcohol abuse, and subsequent reports claim that alcohol was not a factor. Police are waiting for toxicology reports to determinewhether or not drugs were involved in the crash.
Chambers's attorney, however, says that he does not believe his client was under the influence of drugs when she crashed. Rather, he asserts that she blackedout as a result of an undiagnosed mental condition, and that she is not mentally competent to understand the charges against her.
Her boyfriend says that she was a diabetic, but was not taking medication for the disease; however, her father, who seemed befuddled by the allegationsagainst his daughter, never mentioned any history of illness which could have led to a blackout. He only said,"I can�t figure this out. This is not the person that�s my daughter ... I can�t imagine alcohol being involved. She is not an alcoholic that I�m awareof. This is just not who she is. They�re going to paint her into a horrible person but this is not (her).�
And the rumors surrounding the accident seem to just add more confusion to the mix: Her boyfriend broke up with her. She seemed normal when she kissedher boyfriend goodbye before leaving for work. She was sent home from work because she appeared to be on drugs. She did not seem impaired. She wasupset because she was fired. She left work of her own volition.
Certainly, there are more questions than answers at this time, and people would be wise not to make hasty decisions about the case.
As of this writing, Chambers is being held in the Payne County Jail on a complaint of DUI and three complaints of second degree murder. The second degreemurder charge seems to indicated that police and prosecutors know something we don't. Typically, a fatal DUI accident results in a charge of firstdegree manslaughter, not second degree murder, unless the driver has a prior DUI conviction--which, at this time, does not appear to be true of Chambers.
Second degree murder is defined by Oklahoma law as a death that occurs under one of the following circumstances:
First degree manslaughter is punishable by a minimum of 4 years in prison. Second degree murder is punishable by 10 years to life in prison.
