Page 5 - Aruba Today
P. 5
U.S. NEWS A5
Monday 26 October 2015
Attorney: Suspect in Oklahoma crash may be mentally ill
Oklahoma State students Kelly Cooke, right, and Rebecca Bu- wind and then the sound, CPR. We realized she didn’t
chanan read messages on a memorial in Stillwater, Okla., near and then Leo, who was make it,” she said.
where a car crashed into spectators during the Oklahoma State standing next to me, wasn’t Forty-seven people were
University homecoming parade Saturday killing multiple people standing next to me,” said injured, including nine chil-
and injuring several others. McNitt, whose leg was dren 10-year-old or young-
slightly injured. He was er. Five adults were listed as
(Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman via AP) overcome by emotion at critical on Sunday morning.
times as he spoke to a press At the corner of the in-
J. JUOZAPAVICIUS Witnesses described a conference at the Univer- tersection where the sus-
Associated Press scene of chaos as bodies sity of Oklahoma Medical pect’s car came to a stop,
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — A flew into the air from the Center, where Schmitz was a makeshift memorial con-
woman facing second-de- impact and landed on the being treated. tinued to grow. By Sunday
gree murder charges after road. Three adults and a Konda Walker, an OSU afternoon, there were bal-
authorities said she plowed 2-year-old boy were killed graduate who was in Still- loons, flowers, stuffed ted-
a car into the crowd at the and 47 others hurt, includ- water with her sister to cel- dy bears and candles with
Oklahoma State University ing at least four critically in- ebrate homecoming, said black and orange ribbons
homecoming parade may jured. Hospitals initially said she was only about 50 feet tied around them, for the
suffer from a mental illness five were critically injured from the crash scene. school’s colors. A hand-
and was not drinking alco- but one of those was up- She said it took her a few made sign read “It’s always
hol before the crash, her graded to fair condition on seconds to process what darkest before dawn. Stay
lawyer said on Sunday. Sunday. had happened. There were strong.”
Adacia Chambers, 25, was The dead were identified bodies and injured people Anthea Lewis had tears in
arrested after the crash on as Nakita Prabhakar Nakal, lying “all over the place,” her eyes on Sunday as she
a driving while under the 23, an MBA student from In- Walker said. placed a child’s hat with
influence charge, and po- dia at the University of Cen- “One woman was a crum- an Oklahoma State Univer-
lice said Sunday that she tral Oklahoma in Edmond, pled mess on the road. They sity logo at the base of the
was also being held on four and a married couple, turned her over and started memorial.q
charges of second-degree Bonnie Jean Stone and
murder. Marvin Lyle Stone, both 65,
Defense attorney Tony of Stillwater. Marvin Stone
Coleman said Chambers was a retired professor of
did not smell of alcohol agricultural engineering,
when he met her hours af- who had been popular
ter the crash and did not with students, a colleague
appear to be someone said.
who had been in a “drunk- “He was loved by students
en stupor.” Police are and one of the best teach-
awaiting blood tests to de- ers we had,” said Ron El-
termine if she was impaired liott, the former head of the
by drugs or alcohol. Biosystems and Agricultural
“I absolutely can rule out Engineering Department
alcohol,” Coleman told a at OSU. “He just really had
press conference, adding a gift for connecting with
that he had spoken to her students and helping them
aunt, grandmother and learn,” Elliott said in a tele-
boyfriend and all had said phone interview.
she was not drinking. A man who was standing
“She doesn’t remember a next to one of the critically
whole lot about what hap- injured at the parade said
pened. There was a period all he remembers is a sound
where I think ... she could and then Leo Schmitz, his
have even blacked out,” stepfather, was gone.
Coleman said. Chambers Mark McNitt said he went
only recalls people remov- to the parade with his wife,
ing her from the car and mother and stepfather
being extremely confused, Schmitz.
he said. “All I remember is a gush of
