Dust Storm Results In Multiple Accidents

OKLAHOMA  Panhandle – Valentine's day proved to be a dirty, dusty and fatal day in the Oklahoma Panhandle as drivers dealt with zero visibility in some areas, road closures, and multiple traffic collisions. One accident claimed the life of a Tyrone, Okla., man.

Authorities from Oklahoma said Scott Dale Morrell, 69, Tyrone, succumbed to the injuries he received in an accident that occurred around 12:15 p.m., February 14, at U.S. Highway 54 and Kaufman Road, approximately two miles northeast of Optima, Okla.

Garret L. Vanvleet, 61, of Liberal, was headed northeast on U.S. 54in a 2016 Ram pickup, according to authorities, when he traveled in to heavy wind which caused blowing sand, soil and dirt conditions. Vanvleet apparently stopped his vehicle in the roadway due to a previous collision involving a truck/trailer. 

Morrell was driving a 2012 Dodge Journey at "a speed too fast for conditions" and when he came up on Vanvleet's vehicle he was unable to avoid colliding with it.

The collision of the two resulted in Vanvleet being pinned in his vehicle for approximately 20 minutes, according to authorities. 

Morrell and a passenger in his vehicle, Stacy Marie Vargas, 49, also of Tyrone, were also pinned in the Dodge they were in for approximately 20 minutes.  

Authorities said Vanvleet, Morrell and Vargas were all transported by Hooker EMS to Southwest Medical Center in Liberal. Vanvleet was in stable condition with head, trunk internal, trunk external and leg injuries. Morrell succumbed to injuries he sustained in the accident at the hospital.Vargas, was admitted in stable condition with head, arms, trunk internal, trunk external, and leg injuries.

Another accident earlier on Valetine's Day occurred between three semis at around 11:30 a.m. 

Authorities said Ronald Gene DeGarmo, 73, of Rolla, Kans., was driving a 1992 Peterbuilt headed southwest on U.S. 54 when he, too, drove in to heavy wind that was causing blowing sand, soil and dirt conditions.

Abdul Hamid Tanha, 31, of Chicato, Ill., was driving a 2022 Freightliner, and Jerome Lee Swann, 48, Springfield, Mo., was driving a 2020 Freightliner. Tanha and Swann were both stopped in the roadway due to a previous collision. DeGarmo was "traveling at a speed too fast for conditions," authorities said, and was unable to stop in time to avoid colliding with their semis. 

DeGarmo was pinned in his truck for approximately 30 minutes before he was transported by Texas County EMS to Memorial Hospital of Texas County in Guymon, Okla. According to authorities, he was admitted to the hospital with head, trunk, internal, trunk external and leg injuries. He was last known to be in stable condition. Tanhaand Swann were not injured.

 The dirt storm resulted in westbound Highway 54 in Texas County being shut down that afternoon due to "brownout" conditions and "multiple" accidents. There were also roads shut down for a time in Beaver County, Okla., due to the same storm.

Authorities said at approximately 1 p.m., blackout conditions due to high wind and blowing dirt were reported at Bryan's Corner junction in Oklahoma, at US 412 and US 83, in southwestern Beaver County.

The dust storm caused zero visibility in some areas and multi-vehicle collisions with injuries. Authorities reported anywhere from 10-12 vehicles involved in one of the reports.