Oklahoma community in mourning after weekend crash

Eleven of the almost four dozen people injured when a vehicle careened into a crowd watching an Oklahoma State University homecoming parade this weekend were children, police said yesterday, in addition to a toddler who died of his injuries. He said he believes she is mentally ill and said she was hospitalized two years ago for an undisclosed mental illness.

Adacia Chambers’ attorney Tony Coleman filed paperwork at the court clerk’s office Monday, asking for a mental evaluation for Chambers. Chambers was arrested after the Saturday crash on suspicion of driving while under the influence. When he met with Chambers, he said, she gave “inappropriate answers” to his questions. Another 47 people were injured in the crash, including five who remained in critical condition early Sunday, Gibbs said.

The 25-year-old is being held on four preliminary counts of second-degree murder.

Her aunt, Lynda Branstetter, said Chambers told her that she had recently quit a second job because her other job at Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers had asked her to pick up more hours.

“The Stillwater Freddy’s franchisee continues to assist law enforcement to collect information to aid the investigation”, company spokeswoman Alexandrea Pearce said in the statement.

Chambers will have an initial court appearance on Monday, police say. Police said she was driving under the influence, but her attorney disputes that, saying that Chambers is suffering from an untreated mental illness.

“She’s honestly one of the most cautious drivers that I’ve ever ridden with”, he said.

Prosecutors said there is evidence Chambers drove into the crowd deliberately.

“During that entire interview, I was not satisfied at all that I was communicating with a competent individual”, Coleman said.

He said the next morning, her live-in boyfriend said she seemed fine before she left for work around 8:30 a.m. But Coleman said there is a dark period from the time Chambers left work to the time of the crash that she doesn’t really remember. I took her to another place when she got out of there, ‘ he said.

“I don’t believe right now that she was intoxicated”, Coleman told the newspaper. “The outpouring of love from everyone has been appreciated more than words can express and we are truly in awe of how many people have reached out to us in our time of need”.

Witnesses described a scene of chaos as bodies flew into the air from the impact and landed on the road. OU Medical Center says they also have two children who are in good condition. Stillwater police identified the three adult victims Sunday as 23-year-old Nikita Nakal and a married couple, Bonnie Jean Stone and Marvin Lyle Stone, who were both 65. Mr Stone was a retired professor of agricultural engineering who had been popular with students, a colleague said. Oklahoma State University said the boy’s mother, 20-year-old Nicolette Strauch, is a sophomore majoring in chemical engineering. “We just want to show them that we’re here for them”.

And Oklahoma State women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant Miranda Serna were among four killed in a plane crash in Arkansas in 2011 while on a recruiting trip.

One of the injured had been a baby sitter for Lewis, she said.