(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Stillwater man was charged today with two counts of first-degree manslaughter and two counts of causing an injury accident on Highway 51 Friday night while he was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol, .10 mile west of Mehan Road, just east of Stillwater.
James J. Goblet, 23, was allegedly driving a black 2014 Dodge pickup truck westbound in the eastbound lane of the highway when his vehicle struck a black 2015 Volkswagon Beetle head-on at 11:47 p.m. Friday, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.
Goblet’s vehicle then overturned and came to rest in the eastbound lanes of traffic, the OHP reported. Miner’s vehicle then left the roadway to the north coming to rest on the shoulder, the OHP reported.
A five-year-old girl from Pawnee was a passenger in the Volkswagon and died at the scene, the OHP reported. Her name was not released.
The driver of the Volkswagon, McKala Miner, 29, of Pawnee, was transported by air to the OU Medical Center in critical condition with multiple injuries and later died, according to the charge.
Another passenger in the Volkswagon, Forrest Charles Stol, 23, of Glencoe, was taken to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa by EagleMed where he was admitted in serious condition with multiple injuries, the OHP reported.
A passenger in the pickup, Clint M. Hobbs, 26, of Cushing, was transported to Stillwater Medical Center by LifeNet, and then to Mercy Hospital via EagleMed where he was admitted in stable condition with unknown injuries, the OHP reported.
Goblet was arraigned today by Special District Judge Robert Hert from the Payne County Jail where his bail was set at $40,000 with conditions that if he posted bond, he must wear a GPS monitor and surrender his passport, court records show.
A spokeman at the Payne County Jail told KUSH this afternoon that Goblet was in the process of posting bail.
Defense attorney Chris Szlichta asked that Goblet be given time to retrieve his passport from out of Payne County, court records show.
Judge Hert then ordered Goblet to surrender his passport by 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 3, court records show.
Each count of first-degree manslaughter carries a minimum of a four-year prison term on conviction.
Each count of causing a personal injury accident while under the influence of intoxicating liquor carries a minimum of a one-year prison term with a maximum 10-year prison term and as much as a $5,000 fine on conviction, court records show.
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