Martin Rodriguez-Rojo, Kordan Sandridge, Lexxione Dedner Killed in Truck Accident in Dewey County, OK
UPDATE (March 20, 2023): Recent reports show that Lexxione Dedner succumbed to the injuries sustained in the accident. The incident is still under investigation.
Dewey County, OK -- March 13, 2023, Martin Rodriguez-Rojo and Kordan Sandridge were killed and Lexxione Dedner was injured after a truck accident.
According to information from officials, the incident happened at around 1:45 p.m. outside the town of Oakwood.
Initial details say that 29-year-old Kordan Sandridge was driving a semi-truck along northbound US Highway 270. Somehow, the truck went into oncoming lanes where it crashed with another semi driven by 39-year-old Martin Rodriguez-Rojo. A van then crashed trying to avoid the trucks.
As a result of the crash, both Rodriguez-Rojo and Sandridge succumbed to fatal injuries. A passenger in Sandridge's vehicle, identified as 21-year-old Lexxione Dedner, went to a hospital with critical injuries. No one else appeared to be injured.
Right now, additional details are unavailable. This soon after a devastating truck wreck, that's not exactly unusual. I've seen all kinds of reasons for someone to cross into oncoming traffic as was described here. Though some may just assume that driver did something wrong, it's important not to jump to conclusions. Is that possible? Sure, considering things like distraction, fatigue, or speeding. But there are also plenty of factors a truck driver may not have complete control over. Any professional trucker can attest to the overwhelming number of things that can go wrong, and failing to consider those factors here would be a disservice to all the families involved.
That's why the priority in these situations can't be to just look for someone to pin blame onto. Whether this was due to negligent driving, poor road conditions, a cargo shift, a medical emergency, or even some other reckless driver that left the scene, the priority needs to be getting clear answers. Not only do the victims who survived the incident need to be able to tell their side of the story, but the families of those who lost their lives deserve to know that nothing important slipped through the cracks. I can only hope authorities here are able to dedicate the time, effort, and manpower it takes to investigate something as complex as a deadly truck wreck. I've certainly seen enough families further devastated when authorities come up short, and I can't help worrying if that will happen here.
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