A Lincoln County jury has found a driver guilty of first degree manslaughter in the death of a Stroud man and recommended his punishment.
Brent Lee Nobles, 43, of Jennings, was charged in Lincoln County District Court March 23, 2023 of first degree manslaughter charge or in the alternative negligent homicide.
The jury deliberated only an hour before returning with a verdict of guilty. The jury recommended punishment of four years in prison.
District Judge John Canavan, who presided over the trial, scheduled sentencing for 9 a.m. Sep. 3. He has ordered a presentenced investigation.
Assistant District Attorneys Adam Kallsnick and Kelly Trimble prosecuted the case and Nobles was represented by defense attorney Shelley Trimble.
Nobles was charged after his semitrailer truck collided with a vehicle driven by a Stroud man who died in the crash.
At the conclusion of his preliminary hearing last November, he was bound over to stand trial. During his arraignment on Dec. 19 before Judge Canavan, he pleaded not guilty.
The first degree manslaughter charge accuses Nobles on Sept. 28, 2022, of causing the death of Randy VanFossen who died as a direct result of an act which happened while Nobles was in the commission of a misdemeanor, passing in a no passing zone, contrary to the provisions of Oklahoma statutes.
VanFossen was 68 when he died in the collision.
The alternative charge, negligent homicide– motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, states Nobles committed the delinquent act on Sep. 28, 2022, by driving a motor vehicle in reckless disregard of the safety of others, passing in a no passing and in do so doing so injured VanFossen causing his death, contrary to provisions of state statutes.
In a probable cause affidavit, Stroud Police Officer Charles Mash states he was advised around 3:45 p.m. on Sep. 28, 2022 of a vehicle collision at SH 99 and 850 Road. He said upon his arrival he observed a white Chevy pickup truck and a gold semi with a flatbed trailer sitting at a resting point on the northwest corner of that intersection.
VanFossen, driver of the pickup truck, told Mash he was pinned in the vehicle and couldn’t move. Mash told dispatch to advise the Stroud Fire Department that the driver was pinned and needed to be extricated.
The Stroud officer also made contact with the driver of the semi, Brent Nobles, and he stated that he went to pass a slowing vehicle and when he entered the other lane of traffic he noticed the vehicle brake, not use his turn signal and turn west onto 850 Road. Nobles stated he tried to stop his vehicle but couldn’t get it stopped before hitting VanFossen.
Mash reported he determined VanFossen was driving northbound on SH 99 and was turning west onto 850 Road. Nobles was driving northbound on SH 99 and was attempting to pass the slowing vehicles in a no passing zone and was not able to stop before colliding with VanFossen before coming to a stop on the northwest corner of the SH 99 and 850 Road intersection, the affidavit states.
Mash stated that Stroud Fire and Miller EMS worked on getting VanFossen unpinned from the vehicle and once extricated saw them place VanFossen on a gurney and start CPR on him. VanFossen was taken by ambulance to Stroud Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A witness, Christopher Smith, reportedly told Mash that he was driving directly behind VanFossen and that Van-Fossen had his turn signal on and was turning left when the semi driven by Nobles passed him and struck VanFossen’s truck. He further advised Mash he didn’t see any other vehicles behind him.
Other Stroud Officers Damon Bounds and Christian Martin along with State Troopers Shayne Ballard and Daniel Bassett assisted in the investigation of the collision.
Mash stated he reviewed the report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the report states the probable cause of VanFossen’s death was multiple blunt force injuries due to a motor vehicle collision.