Jose Armando Rodriguez
By Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A truck driver has been jailed on $85,000 bail on a first-degree manslaughter charge in the traffic death of one of two Good Samaritans, who stopped on Fairgrounds Road to help him after his pickup went out of control and hit a ditch.
Jose Armando Rodriguez-Melendez, 20, whose address is unknown, has been ordered to appear in court on May 25 for a preliminary hearing on one count of manslaughter and another count of drunk driving in an accident that resulted in great bodily injury to the other Good Samaritan.
One victim, Cindy Stemple, 58, of Stillwater, who had been air-lifted to OU Medical Center with external trunk, internal trunk, and head injuries from the Feb. 16 crash on Fairgrounds Road, died on Feb. 27. Another victim, Robin Clason, 55, who had external and internal trunk injuries, was transported by LifeNet to the Stillwater Medical Center, court records show.
Rodriguez was arrested at 8:08 pm on Feb. 16 after Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Billy Overbey was sent at 6:32 pm to a collision near the intersection of Fairgrounds Road and McElroy Road, according to his affidavit.
A witness, Katie Stemple, 26, of Stillwater, said that she and her mother were traveling south on Fairgrounds Road when they saw a white Chevy Silverado driven by Rodriguez “overtake their vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed,” the affidavit alleged.
She said, “the vehicle soon lost control and departed the roadway to the left impacting the ditch,” the affidavit alleged.
She said, “along with her mother, Cindy Stemple, another witness Robin Clason, pulled over to assist Rodriguez,” who according to Clason threw a case of beer in the ditch soon after impact, the affidavit alleged.
“Rodriguez exited his vehicle through the broken back glass window of his truck,” the affidavit alleged.
“Katie Stemple explained that while standing in the northbound lane of Fairgrounds Road with the other witnesses, she observed a gray Toyota pickup strike Rodriguez’s truck. The impact forced Rodriguez’s truck into Katie Stemple, Cindy Stemple, and Robin Clason,” the affidavit alleged.
OHP Drug Recognition Expert Trooper Ryan Long said that “Rodriguez was intoxicated and could not safely operate a motor vehicle,” the affidavit alleged.
“Due to a language barrier with Rodriguez, Officer Ricardo Inciarte with the Stillwater Police Department read Rodriguez implied consent, to which he explained ‘yes’ he would take the state’s blood test,” for the presence of alcohol, the affidavit alleged.
Trooper Overbey said that “Rodriguez had passed in a no-passing zone before losing control of his vehicle,” which deployed all airbags while the seatbelt was locked in a tight position indicating it was not being worn at the time of the collision, the affidavit alleged.
“Full beer bottles were discovered in the ditch near the vehicle’s area of rest,” the affidavit alleged.
Rodriguez did not have a valid Oklahoma driver’s license at the time of the collision, according to the charge.
Rodriguez told the trooper, “while traveling southbound on Fairgrounds Road, a deer ran in front of his vehicle causing him to swerve left. In addition, Rodriguez explained that he had drunk two beers prior to the collision,” the affidavit alleged.
Trooper Overbey transported Rodriguez to the Stillwater Medical Center to be examined by medical personnel, who said he suffered a broken nose from the collision, the affidavit said. At the hospital, Rodriguez “explained to Trooper Long that he had consumed between five to six beers before the collision,” the affidavit alleged.
If convicted of first-degree manslaughter by driving under the influence of alcohol or in the alternative without a valid Oklahoma driver’s license that resulted in a crash and the death of Cindy Stemple, Rodriguez could be given a prison term of four years to life. If convicted of the additional count of drunk driving and causing a crash that resulted in great bodily injury to Robin Clason, Rodriguez could be given a prison term of four years to 20 years.
