Town Where 12 and 13-Year-Old Girls Killed When 14-Year-Old Crashed Car During Police Chase Can’t Contain Pain
A deadly car crash happened — but shouldn’t have. Consequently, an Oklahoma town is trying to heal from unspeakable pain after a horrific crash that killed two teenage girls last week. One of them was laid to rest today. The heartbreaking video of the fatal crash can be seen below.
Katana Richey (some sources use the spelling, “Katana Richley), like other girls her age, was supposed to have a long life ahead of her. Sunday, she would have likely watched the Teen Choice Awards; she would have returned to school on Monday, and she would still be enjoying life as a girl coming of age. However, according to a sobering report, it would not be so.
Richey, 13, was one of five occupants in a car that was involved in a fatal crash in Woodward, Oklahoma. A law enforcement officer observed a motorist driving through a stop sign without coming to a complete stop at about 1:00 a.m. Officers tried to pull over the driver, to no avail; he sped off at a high rate of speed.
According to police reports, after a brief police pursuit, the 14-year-old male driver lost control of his vehicle and flipped several times before coming to rest. Three occupants were ejected during the single-car accident.
Investigators say they were not wearing seat belts. Katana and another unnamed 12-year-old girl were killed in the car crash. Another ejected passenger was left in stable condition.
JUST IN: Car driven by 14-year-old crashes during police chase in Woodward, #Oklahoma; 2 teens killed #LiveDesk https://t.co/s3Pa46NoqZ pic.twitter.com/TgMzsSjZzk
— Dan Snyder (@DanSnyderTV) August 9, 2017
A police report showed that the boy, who was on a three-day pass from a home for troubled youth, took his grandmother’s 2009 Chevy Impala without her permission. It’s unclear how the boy obtained the keys to the vehicle or if the owner was aware at the time of the car crash, according to the Independent News North America.
Katana’s grieving mother, Shyila Clugston, spoke to reporters about the untimely loss of her daughter in the fatal car crash. Clugston said the teen girl was supposed to be enjoying a sleepover with a friend. Unbeknownst to her parents, the “rebellious” girl left the home and met up with her friends at a local Walmart store.
“We’re pretty sick. We’re pretty upset, heartbroken, just trying to figure it all out. She was a very bright child. She was a good girl.”
The minor driver and another male passenger were wearing seat belts and sustained minor injuries. The boy’s mother, April Carmen, said her son is saddened over the deaths of the girls in the car crash. He insists that he was not trying to hurt anyone.
“He said he was scared. He said he didn’t mean to miss the stoplight. He was just so scared. He didn’t want to get locked up. He wanted to go back to the Boy’s Ranch.”
The teenager appeared before a judge in a Juvenile Court where he faces two counts of manslaughter in the car crash that killed the two teen girls. Due to his age, the case will not be tried publicly.
Katana Angel Richey’s memorial service was held on Monday. She was laid to rest at Elmwood Cemetery, according to her obituary.
[Featured Image by Marko Rupena/Shutter Stock]
