OHP says distracted driving led to fatal crash that killed 4

PURCELL, Okla. (AP) – The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says distracted driving contributed to a fatal crash near Purcell that killed a 40-year-old woman and three children.

Troopers released a collision report Wednesday that says an SUV driven by Erin Van Horn collided with the rear of a tractor-trailer that was stopped on Interstate 35 near Purcell due to traffic congestion.

The group was returning from a summer outing at Turner Falls on July 17. The report says Van Horn’s distraction was a “contributing factor” to the crash but doesn’t say what distracted her.

Aside from Van Horn, killed in the crash were her 10-year-old son, Zac Van Horn; 13-year-old Elizabeth “Lizzy” Edwards; and 11-year-old Beck Kitterman. Two other 13-year-old girls sustained serious injuries in the crash and a 7-year-old girl was treated and released.