Car Crash Takes The Lives Of Two Guthrie Teachers

A tragic head-on crash early Monday morning claimed the lives of two Guthrie Junior High School English teachers. 

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) said 24-year-old Jennifer Briggs and 27-year-old Heather Wilson were carpooling from Stillwater to their teaching jobs at Guthrie Junior High. The OHP said Briggs was driving her Ford Focus on westbound State Highway 33 near Redlands Road just before 7 a.m. 

OHP Spokesperson Lt. Betsy Randolph said 37-year-old Rocky Baca was driving a van east on 33, but he was driving in the westbound lane. Randolph said a witness said Jennifer Briggs tried to swerve to avoid the crash, but the van swerved into her car. Both young women died at the scene. 

“We did do a state blood draw on him to determine if he had any intoxicants in his system,” said Lt. Randolph. “He was able to talk to our investigators and he told them he might have fallen asleep while he was driving.” 

Baca was transported to OU Medical Center with serious injuries. Randolph said toxicology results will take around 30 days

10/27/2014 Related Story: Two Teachers Killed In Two-Vehicle Collision Near Perkins