Rash Of Crashes Involving Teens Prompts Safety Reminders

A startling number of recent wrecks in Green Country have involved teenagers. At least 17 teenagers in our area have been injured or killed in wrecks in just the past two and a half weeks.

It's prompting safety reminders for young drivers, especially as we get closer to the holidays and teenagers have time off from school.

Two of the teens involved in a wreck with an Adair school bus two weeks ago are now home recovering from their injuries. The 16-year-old driver has a broken leg and ankle and her 18-year-old sister has a broken pelvis.

Fifteen-year-old Brittany Stokes is still in ICU.

11/14/2013 Related Story: Adair Community Rallies Around 3 Students Injured In Crash With School Bus

"She was just broke all over. From collapsed lung--she came in with a collapsed lung, broken arm, broken ribs, broken vertebrae, her pelvis, it's just been on and on," said her guardian, Linda Biscorner.

Biscorner said the teen faces a fifth surgery soon, but is making progress each day.

"She's a strong girl, she's strong-willed, she'll do good," Biscorner said.

Brittany is a young barrel racer. Doctors hope she'll be able to walk again, but say she'll likely have long term effects from the wreck.

Linda Biscorner is very grateful for the support they're getting.

"It has meant so much. You don't know who your friends are until something like this happens," Biscorner said.

A number of wrecks involving teens have happened recently. On November 8, Skiatook senior Mallory Winegarten was killed in a crash on Highway 20. A week later, five teens were injured in a Pawhuska wreck where a pickup flipped after colliding with a car.

Sixteen-year-old Lyrick Mathis, of Nowata, was killed in a wreck on November 20. Another teen was injured.

This past Sunday, six teens were hurt in a wreck just north of Yale. Only one was wearing a seatbelt.

"Distracted driving is one of the main causes, as well as speed," said Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper David Kelley.

Kelley said recent wrecks show how important it is for parents to constantly reinforce driving safety to teenagers.

"If there is more than one kid in the car, don't get distracted by what's going on in the vehicle," he said.

Brittany Stokes will face a long road to recovery, but as we get closer to Thanksgiving, her guardian is thankful Brittany survived.

"We have lots of churches all the way from Texas to Kansas, people praying for us," Biscorner said.

With 14 days in intensive care, so far, and five surgeries, the medical expenses for Brittany Stokes are skyrocketing.

A donation fund to help offset those costs is set up at the Yorktown Bank in Pryor.