TULSA, Okla. — A Tulsa County judge will now decide the fate of a woman charged in a deadly crash involving a Tulsa fire truck.
In February 2024, Tulsa police say Keiosha Rucker failed to yield in front of a Tulsa fire truck near 41st Street and S. Harvard. Police say the truck had sirens on and was headed to an apartment fire.
WATCH: Deadly fire truck crash | Tulsa judge to determine sentence:
Six people were in Rucker’s car — a one-year-old boy, a 4-year-old girl, a 5-year-old boy, and three women aged 23, 26, and 28.
The wreck claimed the lives of all three children and the 23-year-old woman. The 26-year-old was in her second trimester of pregnancy and lost the baby. Rucker and the 26-year-old both recovered from their injuries.
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Rucker faces five counts of manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs. On the day set for jury trial, Rucker changed her plea from not guilty to a blind, no contest.
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That means the two sides could not agree on a punishment deal. In Oklahoma, manslaughter sentences range from a minimum of four years to a maximum of life in prison.
Rucker appeared in court in a wheelchair. She is partially paralyzed from the accident. Several family members were there in support. She cried multiple times while speaking to her attorney before entering her new plea.
At sentencing, the state will present evidence surrounding the case and her attorney will present factors they hope can lessen the severity of the sentence. Those factors could include a lack of prior criminal record or the emotional toll of an already tragic situation.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 16.
Rucker also had a failure to yield charge involving the crash. The state agreed to dismiss that charge.
Manslaughter is what’s known as an “85% crime” in Oklahoma, meaning Rucker would not be eligible to get out of prison early for good behavior.
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