Cherokee Nation Secretary Of State Killed In Crash With Semi In Chouteau

The Cherokee Nation is mourning the death of its Secretary of State.

The tribe says Charles Head, 63, was killed in a car crash Wednesday afternoon on Highway 69 in Chouteau.

Local police said his car, for some unknown reason, veered into on-coming traffic, slamming head-on into a semi truck.

Head died at the scene. The driver of the truck wasn't hurt.

News On 6 talked to Cherokee Chief Bill John Baker, who was in Washington, DC Wednesday night.

The Chief said he lost a friend and "no one had more on his plate than Charles."

The Vietnam War veteran and Pryor native had served as the tribe's Secretary of State for a year. 

"It's a great loss, institutional knowledge that will be hard to replace. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to the family," said Speaker of the Tribal Council Tina Glory-Jordan. "He was a good Cherokee man who had a heart for the people."