Distracted driving kills. The more we say it, the more you would think people would listen. In Oklahoma, Erin Van Horn, 40, and three children were killed on July 17 because of what is being described as distracted driving. Van Horn was driving her SUV with her children and some friends when they collided with and a tractor trailer.
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The three children who lost their lives were Erin’s son Zach Van Horn, 10, Beck Kitterman, 11, and Elizabeth Edwards, 13. There were three other children (Lauren and Isabella Kitterman, both 13, and Samantha Van Horn, 7) in the car who all survived the crash – all six of the children had been out visiting turn Falls Park, and Van Horn was taking them home.
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Lauren and Isabella were both critically injured, and Samantha was treated and released the same day.
Tragically, Beck and Zach were not wearing seatbelts when the SUV slammed into the tractor trailer from behind.
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Trooper Dwight Duran told KFOR Channel 4 that it was a high impact crash and it appears as if the semi-truck had come to a complete stop and was preparing to make a turn.
The police reports indicate that the truck driver, Arash Zarezadeh, 45, of Las Vegas had done nothing to cause the accident.
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We are not completely sure if Van Horn was distracted while she was driving (or how she was), but the police listed her inattention as an unlawful contributing factor to the accident. GoFundMe pages have been set up for the Kitterman, Edwards, and Van Horn families.
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