Third student-runner who was struck by speeding truck dies

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A third member of a suburban Oklahoma City high school cross-country team who was struck by a speeding pickup truck earlier this month has died.

Kolby Crum, 18, died Saturday at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center, said hospital spokeswoman April Sandefer.

Crum was among seven members of the Moore High School cross-country team who were struck while running on a Moore sidewalk on Feb. 3, authorities said. According to police, the driver, 57-year-old Max Leroy Townsend, was going 79 mph (127 kph) in a 25 mph (40 kph) zone when he crossed two lanes of traffic onto the sidewalk and struck the students and several parked cars.

Student Rachel Freeman, 17, died on the day of the crash and Yuridia Martinez, 16, died the next day.

Townsend was charged last week with two counts of manslaughter, and several counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of an accident. He remained jailed Saturday on $1.2 million bond.

Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn told The Oklahoman that he plans to charge Townsend with a third manslaughter count.

The day before the crash, Townsend’s 28-year-old son was killed in a multi-vehicle auto accident in Moore. Court records do not list an attorney who could speak on Townsend’s behalf.