Jet man charged with manslaughter

A Jet man has been charged with manslaughter in Alfalfa County. Billy Leroy Cook, 41, of Jet has been charged with manslaughter – first degree, a felony. He is charged with causing the death of Rance McKee, 60, of Enid in a two-vehicle collision that occurred Dec. 27, 2016. This crime is punishable by imprisonment for not less than four years.

According to court records, on Dec. 27 Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Justin Barney went to the scene at the intersection of State Highway 45 and County Road 710 approximately one miles west of Goltry. He saw a red Dodge pickup equipped with a welding bed and a dark-colored four-door Nissan pickup in the southwest corner of the intersection. He observed a man lying on the ground and immediately went to check on him. Michael Edward James, 47, said he was a passenger in the Dodge pickup.

Trooper Barney was told there was someone in the Nissan so he went to that vehicle and saw a man lying face down in the backseat. He had a large laceration on his head and was not breathing. Goltry Fire and Helena EMS arrived and began to treat the victims. He was told that man in the Nissan was deceased. He was identified from his driver’s license as Rance Lee McKee, 60, of Enid.

Trooper Barney then made contact with Cook, the driver of the Dodge pickup, who was in the pickup and had a small laceration on his head. Cook said he didn’t know what had happened. Barney detected a strong alcohol odor from Cook. A short time later Cook was transported to Integris Bass Hospital in Enid.

Barney finished his examination at the scene with the help of the Troop J fatality response team. It was determined the Cook pickup was traveling southbound on County Road 710. An inventory of Cook’s vehicle revealed an empty bottle of whiskey in the driver’s side floorboard. Trooper Barney also spoke with four individuals who drove upon the scene shortly after the collision occurred.

After concluding his investigation at the scene, Trooper Barney went to the hospital in Enid where he met Trooper Lisa Jorgenson who had obtained a consensual blood draw from Cook. He also spoke with Cook who said, “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.” Troopers Jorgenson and Barney then went to the McKee home to make death notification to his wife.

After a reconstruction was completed by Trooper Linda Hartley, it was determined the collision occurred when a 2004 Nissan pickup, owned and operated by McKee, was westbound on State Highway 45 going to the prison in Helena where McKee was employed. The Nissan struck a southbound 2008 Dodge pickup after it failed to stop at the stop sign. The Dodge Ram pickup was operated and owned by Cook and occupied by front seat passenger James.

The Nissan struck the Dodge just behind the driver door on the initial impact. As the two vehicles entered the southwest ditch, they had a secondary impact with the rear of the Nissan striking the rear of the Dodge. The Dodge pickup struck a corner fence post in the ditch before making the secondary impact with the Nissan.

Cook and his passenger were not restrained by a seatbelt. Cook was treated for a head injury and released that same night. James was treated for bruises and a muscle strain and was also released the same night. McKee had a massive head injury, and it was determined he struck the windshield with the top of his head during impact.

It was determined the Nissan was traveling 68.54 mph at impact and the Dodge was traveling 44.98 mph. An acceleration study was conducted at the intersection to determine if Cook had stopped at the stop sign. According to the study, Cook should only have been traveling a maximum of 23.61 mph if he had stopped and then proceeded into the intersection.

The results of the blood sample obtained from Cook and submitted to the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation tested positive for cannabinoids (marijuana), methamphetamine, and MDMA and .069 g/100mL for alcohol. Blood samples obtained for McKee showed negative for alcohol.