'Still Trying To Process It': Mother Of Barnsdall Teen Killed In Crash Speaks Out After Driver's Arrest

A Barnsdall mother wants justice for her 15-year-old son who was killed in a crash and is relieved the driver is now charged with manslaughter.

Investigators say Weston Lowe was driving drunk with his 16-year-old daughter, her 15-year-old boyfriend Tyson Townley, and another passenger when he crashed.

Lowe's daughter and the other passenger were injured and Townley was killed.

Townley’s mother says he was an amazing kid who loved his family, loved making people laugh and loved baseball.

She says she’ll do whatever she can to keep his memory alive.

Townley was celebrating his girlfriend’s 16th birthday in Barnsdall in May with her family and friends, when investigators say her dad, Lowe, drove drunk and crashed.

Townley's mother says the past few weeks have been nothing short of a nightmare.

“I can’t even describe what it’s done to us, and how it feels," said Stacey Harris. "Still trying to process it honestly. Having a tornado hit the town right after that, it’s been a lot.”

Prosecutors have charged Lowe with manslaughter, child endangerment, and leaving the scene of a fatal crash, after troopers say they found him hiding nearly a mile from the scene.

Harris says she’s glad they’re one step closer to justice.

“I’m very thankful for that, that he’s not sitting out free for a whole year two before they start," said Harris. "I’m very thankful that it’s starting now. But it still doesn’t change what he took from us. It doesn’t bring Tyson back and it never will. We’ve been handed a lifetime sentence of something we didn’t want to be given.”

She says it’s frustrating another parent would put her child in danger in this way.

“I don’t just let people have my kids," said Harris. "I’m super picky about it. I’m protective, I guess. To put trust in them, that they are going to take care of him like we do, and for him to do this, because he made the decision to get behind the wheel.”

She hopes other people will talk to their kids about not getting in a car with anyone who has been drinking, even an adult, and the importance of finding another way home.

“Don’t drink and drive," said Harris. "There’s no reason, there’s no excuse, there’s nothing at all that you can say for why you did it. And it changes so many people’s lives.”

Harris plans to be at every court date.

News On 6 contacted Lowe's family who did not want to talk on camera, but his daughter sent us a statement last week saying her father is a good father who made a mistake and that he did not leave the scene but was looking for her boyfriend.

News On 6 did not hear back from Lowe's attorney.