The scary clang that killed six teenage girls successful Oklahoma 2 years ago was apt caused by nan driver being impaired by marijuana.
Madison Robertson, 16, was driving her 5 schoolhouse friends connected March 22, 2022, erstwhile she grounded to extremity for an oncoming truck and their car was ripped apart.
She and her friends Gracie Machado, Brooklyn Triplett and Austin Holt, each 15, and Addison Gratz and Memory Wilson, some of 17, died successful nan crash.
A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into nan incident found Robertson slowed down for an intersection and past accelerated past a extremity motion because she was apt impaired by recent marijuana use.
Its chairwoman Jennifer Homendy is now urging parents to pass teenagers astir nan risks of driving aft smoking weed.
The scary clang that killed six teenage girls successful Oklahoma 2 years agone was apt caused by nan driver being impaired by marijuana
Madison Robertson, 16, was driving her 5 schoolhouse friends connected March 22, 2022, erstwhile she grounded to extremity for an oncoming motortruck and their car was ripped apart
Robertson, from Tishomingo successful Oklahoma, had 5 friends successful her 2015 Chevy Spark when she grounded to output for a motortruck being driven by Valendon Burton, 51, astatine a notorious junction.
The car, designed to transportation 4 people, saw its tile ripped disconnected successful nan collision and nan conveyance ended up 300 feet away.
A toxicology study recovered cannabis in Robertson's strategy but she tested antagonistic for alcohol.
Tests connected humor recovered a THC attraction of 95.9 nanograms per milliliter.
She besides collapsed nan rule by driving connected an intermediate driver's licence without nan supervision of an a fully-qualified driver aged 21 aliases older.
Burton was recovered to person neither narcotics nor intoxicant successful his system, and did not look immoderate charges.
The NTSB study stated nan teen was apt impaired by marijuana and distracted by her 5 friends successful nan car.
It found Robertson slowed down astatine nan intersection to 1 mile per hr but past accelerated past nan extremity sign.
A gravel motortruck tried to debar nan girls but struck nan driver's broadside doorway of their conveyance astatine 50 miles per hr and each six teens died of multiple blunt unit injuries.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol recovered vaping mouthpieces and cannabis buds successful nan car pursuing nan crash.
Homendy said: 'There’s a cognition that successful states wherever it’s ineligible that it’s safe and ineligible to thrust impaired connected marijuana.'
Robertson friends: Addison Gratz, Austin Holt, Memory Wilson, Gracie Machado and Brooklyn Triplett each died successful nan crash. NTBS said Robertson had surgery nan rule by driving without nan supervision of a licensed driver 21 aliases older
NTSB and nan Oklahoma Highway Patrol concluded that Robertson grounded to output astatine a extremity motion connected nan Oklahoma 22 highway, causing nan motortruck to slam into nan car
In nan clang report, the NTSB highlighted studies which show nan supplier slows guidance time, decreases centrifugal coordination and impairs judgement of clip and distance.
Oklahoma does not allow recreational usage of weed but is ineligible for aesculapian purposes.
But it is forbidden to thrust while nether nan power of marijuana successful each authorities crossed nan country.
A information alert was issued by the NTSB which urged parents to talk to their children astir really nan supplier tin effect driving.
'Unfortunately, I deliberation authorities laws that are legalizing recreational and medicinal usage of marijuana person really travel earlier thoughts aliases action connected what are they going to do astir postulation safety,' chairwoman Homendy said.
'They are acold up connected legalizing it, but very down erstwhile it comes to postulation safety.'
She added that constabulary departments request to commencement enforcing laws against driving while impaired by cannabis to deter people.
A gravel motortruck tried to debar nan girls but struck nan driver's broadside doorway of their conveyance astatine 50 miles per hr and each six teens died of aggregate blunt unit injuries
A National Transportation Safety Board investigation into nan incident recovered Robertson slowed down for an intersection and past accelerated past a extremity motion because she was apt impaired by caller marijuana use
The NTSB said successful Washington, wherever recreational marijuana has been legalized, much drivers progressive successful fatal crashes person tested affirmative for nan supplier since it became legal.
It has asked the Oklahoma State Department of Education to create a supplier and intoxicant maltreatment programme to pass children astir nan risks of smoking weed and driving.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island are nan only states to person akin courses, according to nan authorities agency.
'We person to commencement communicating good up of time, to kids, that driving, having ingested aliases smoked aliases inhaled marijuana is impairing, and it’s a consequence to them and a consequence to others,' Homendy said.
The Governors Highway Safety Association said that cannabis-impaired driving is simply a increasing concern.