Politics
Oklahoma lawmakers hear call for wrong-way driver alert pilot after fatal crash
The parents of Marissa Murrow, a 19-year-old University of Central Oklahoma student killed by an impaired wrong-way driver, urged state lawmakers to pursue a system that warns motorists traveling in the right direction. At an Oct. 19 interim study, transportation officials outlined existing detection technology and said wrong-way crashes are uncommon but often severe.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma lawmakers heard a family’s call Monday for a pilot program that would warn drivers when a vehicle is traveling the wrong way nearby, following the death of 19-year-old Marissa Murrow on the Kilpatrick Turnpike.
Jeff and Kristy Murrow requested the interim study at the state Capitol. Their daughter, a University of Central Oklahoma student, died at a hospital after an impaired driver traveling north in the turnpike’s southbound lanes struck her head-on.
Jeff Murrow said investigators concluded from data recorded by Marissa’s car that she braked and turned the steering wheel just seconds before impact. Both vehicles were traveling about 70 mph, he said. “Our lives changed forever,” he said.
The Murrows have since founded Victims of Impaired Drivers. They want lawmakers to consider legislation next session to create a pilot system that alerts drivers headed the right way that a wrong-way vehicle is ahead.
“If we don’t want to judge or punish or be punitive to someone who might have a problem leading to those decisions, we need to work to prevent the injuries and the fatalities that happen from it,” Kristy Murrow said.
State Rep. Nicole Miller, an Edmond Republican, said the study was intended to examine current procedures and hear ideas about possible improvements. Officials from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority attended. Representatives from Arkansas and Arizona joined virtually to discuss their states’ approaches.
ODOT State Traffic Engineer Kendal Theisen said the state uses pavement markings and oversized signs, as well as wrong-way detection systems that can trigger flashing warnings. The agency has also been piloting technology that sends alerts to DPS communication centers when a wrong-way driver is detected, Theisen said.
ODOT data show Oklahoma has about 65,000 to 70,000 crashes each year, with wrong-way crashes accounting for less than 1%. But Theisen said about 30% of wrong-way crashes result in a serious or fatal injury.
The study did not establish a timeline or funding for a statewide driver-alert program. The Murrows are seeking a legislative pilot, while state officials weigh existing measures and potential next steps.