The horror crash that killed six teenage girls in Oklahoma two years ago was likely caused by the driver being impaired by marijuana.

Madison Robertson, 16, was driving her five school friends on March 22, 2022, when she failed to stop for an oncoming truck and their car was ripped apart. 

She and her friends Gracie Machado, Brooklyn Triplett and Austin Holt, all 15, and Addison Gratz and Memory Wilson, both of 17, died in the crash.

A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into the incident found Robertson slowed down for an intersection and then accelerated past a stop sign because she was likely impaired by recent marijuana use.

Its chairwoman Jennifer Homendy is now urging parents to warn teenagers about the risks of driving after smoking weed.

Madison Robertson, 16, was driving her five school friends on March 22, 2022, when she failed to stop for an oncoming truck and their car was ripped apart

Robertson, from Tishomingo in Oklahoma, had five friends in her 2015 Chevy Spark when she failed to yield for a truck being driven by Valendon Burton, 51, at a notorious junction.

The car, designed to carry four people, saw its roof ripped off in the collision and the vehicle ended up 300 feet away. 

A toxicology report found cannabis in Robertson’s system but she tested negative for alcohol.

Tests on blood found a THC concentration of 95.9 nanograms per milliliter. 

She also broke the law by driving on an intermediate driver’s license without the supervision of an a fully-qualified driver aged 21 or older.

Burton was found to have neither drugs nor alcohol in his system, and did not face any charges. 

The NTSB report stated the teenager was likely impaired by marijuana and distracted by her five friends in the car. 

It found Robertson slowed down at the intersection to one mile per hour but then accelerated past the stop sign.

A gravel truck tried to avoid the girls but struck the driver’s side door of their vehicle at 50 miles per hour and all six teens died of multiple blunt force injuries.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol found vaping mouthpieces and cannabis buds in the car following the crash. 

Homendy said: ‘There’s a perception that in states where it’s legal that it’s safe and legal to drive impaired on marijuana.’

Robertson friends: Addison Gratz, Austin Holt, Memory Wilson, Gracie Machado and Brooklyn Triplett all died in the crash. NTBS said Robertson had broken the law by driving without the supervision of a licensed driver 21 or older

NTSB and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol concluded that Robertson failed to yield at a stop sign on the Oklahoma 22 highway, causing the truck to slam into the car

In the crash report, the NTSB highlighted studies which show the drug slows reaction time, decreases motor coordination and impairs judgment of time and distance.

Oklahoma does not allow recreational use of weed but is legal for medical purposes.

But it is illegal to drive while under the influence of marijuana in every state across the country. 

A safety alert was issued by the NTSB which urged parents to talk to their children about how the drug can impact driving. 

‘Unfortunately, I think state laws that are legalizing recreational and medicinal use of marijuana have really come before thoughts or action on what are they going to do about traffic safety,’ chairwoman Homendy said. 

‘They are far ahead on legalizing it, but very behind when it comes to traffic safety.’ 

She added that police departments need to start enforcing laws against driving while impaired by cannabis to deter people. 

A gravel truck tried to avoid the girls but struck the driver’s side door of their vehicle at 50 miles per hour and all six teens died of multiple blunt force injuries

A National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the incident found Robertson slowed down for an intersection and then accelerated past a stop sign because she was likely impaired by recent marijuana use

The NTSB said in Washington, where recreational marijuana has been legalized, more drivers involved in fatal crashes have tested positive for the drug since it became legal.

It has asked the Oklahoma State Department of Education to develop a drug and alcohol abuse program to warn children about the risks of smoking weed and driving.

Massachusetts and Rhode Island are the only states to have similar courses, according to the government agency.

‘We have to start communicating well ahead of time, to kids, that driving, having ingested or smoked or inhaled marijuana is impairing, and it’s a risk to them and a risk to others,’ Homendy said. 

The Governors Highway Safety Association said that cannabis-impaired driving is a growing concern.

In a meeting on Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Council voted to approve an emergency moratorium lasting for 180 days and prohibiting the approval of new applications for home-sharing, such as Airbnb’s or Vrbos, for areas in the city where 10% of the block already contains a home-sharing rental.

Current short-term rental owners would not be affected.

The decision is also closely tied to an ordinance under consideration to allow accessory dwelling units on properties, which advocates say could provide needed higher-density housing. Certain ADUs in Oklahoma City have been ‘grandfathered’ in because they were built before currently regulations existed.

Opponents against the idea believe the smaller housing units would become part of an already saturated short-term rental market.

“I help with an elderly aunt that I have,” said Glen Cosper, a member of the Oklahoma City Metro Association of Realtors. “So, I know that people would like to have that because that person still likes to live independently.”

In presentations from city staff, benefits for ADUs have been cited as providing affordable housing options and better connectivity to walkable communities.

Marva Ellard, a representative for the preservation group overseeing the Heritage Hills historic neighborhood, spoke publicly against ADUs at a May planning commission meeting.

“We’re seeing a lot of it in The Paseo, especially where investors buy these cute little bungalows,” she said. “We understand the need for more housing in the inner city. But, we also want an ordinance that treats us fairly.”

Cosper said the pause on certain new short-term rental applications creates an opportunity to think of a solution that benefits a wider audience.

No final and permanent decisions have been made.

CLAREMORE, Okla. — Each county in the state is required to run an audit after each election, and each county’s election board except one conducted an audit for the June 18 Primary Election from July 16-18.

The Oklahoma State Election Board defines these as being done “for the purpose of maintaining the security of the election system by ensuring that voting devices and software used in a particular election correctly tabulated votes.”

Out of Oklahoma’s 15 most populous counties, Rogers County boasts the honor of highest voter registration at 84.6 percent.

It also makes for a tedious audit process, all done by hand.

Julie Dermody has led her county’s audits as Secretary after each election since it became required by law in 2019.

Although June’s primary had low turnout Dermody makes it a point to stream on Facebook Live every time it’s performed.

“We want everyone to be able to see it. We want to be totally transparent as we’re doing it,” Dermody said.

Marshall Cook didn’t know these audits were a thing, but is happy with the extra step.

“It’d be nice to know all the votes were counted properly and that there’s not dead people voting or you know, extra votes being added or whatever. It’s nice,” Cook told 2 News.

The audit is also a good warm-up for the post-presidential audit, which will be the state’s first time doing one post-pandemic, Dermody added.
“We always have that hand-marked paper ballot that is kept under lock and key and under seal that we can go back to to make sure that everything is right,” she said.

The state election board typically releases each county’s audit to the public on its website within a day or two of them being turned in.

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