A Joplin man who is charged with three counts of manslaughter in connection with the September 17, 2021 accident that killed three people, including two McKinley Elementary students, was bound over for trial following a March 4 preliminary hearing in Ottawa County District Court.
The next hearing for Anthony T. Hendricks, 25, is scheduled for March 27.
Hendricks was the only survivor of a traffic accident that killed three people.
On Friday, September 17, 2021 at approximately 2:11 p.m., the Northeast Region Communications Center was notified of a fatal motor collision that occurred on State Highway 10C near S 670 Road in Ottawa County, Oklahoma.
Troopers determined Anthony Hendricks was driving a 1994 Honda Civic westbound on SH-10C with passengers Terry Wilkins, Raylan Brown and Eden Melton. Wilkins was the front seat passenger; Brown was the rear driver passenger and Melton was the rear right passenger.
Alexandra Brown and Shanna Jones were driving a pickup in front of Hendricks. All of the individuals had left together from Joplin, Missouri after they picked up their children from school and were driving to a residence in Grove, Oklahoma to work on another vehicle. As they entered into Oklahoma, Brown was driving in front of Hendricks.
At some point after driving by the Eastern Shawnee Travel Center on SH-10C, Brown and Hendricks were passed by an unknown Ford pickup at a high rate of speed. The unknown pickup was described as four-door, dark color, lifted, tinted windows and aftermarket exhaust.
After being passed by the unknown Ford, Hendricks then passed Brown and Jones to catch up to the unknown Ford. Hendricks initially reported as he approached the unknown Ford from the rear another oncoming vehicle was traveling eastbound, so Hendricks hit his brake, lost control of the Honda and departed the roadway and began to overturn multiple times.
Hendricks later reported he tried to catch up to the unknown Ford because he was going to get the tag number to report it to law enforcement for reckless driving. Wilkins was allegedly holding Hendricks' phone in his hand as they approached and began the collision events. Brown later reported she retrieved Hendricks' phone from under Wilkins after the crash occurred. Hendricks stated he did not get the tag number of the unknown Ford.
Later, Hendicks reported as he got behind the unknown Ford, the vehicle tried to pass a white SUV, but could not because of an ongoing semi truck. The Ford then abruptly hit the hit the brakes and entered into the westbound lane, striking the front of Hendicks' Honda, causing it to lose control, depart the roadway and overturn.
Based on collision evidence at the scene, Hendricks lost control of the Honda, departed the roadway to the left and overturned multiple times before coming to rest. During the sequence of overturning, Hendricks and R. Brown were ejected from the Honda.
Wilkins, R. Brown and Melton were pronounced deceased at the scene by responding medical personnel due to massive injuries sustained during the collision. Hendricks was transported by Quapaw Nation EMS to Mercy Hospital in Joplin, Missouri where he was admitted for treatment of injuries sustained during the collision.
(An officer) responded to the hospital and obtained blood samples from Hendricks to be analyzed for intoxicants.
The tests showed Hendricks had marijuana in his blood. A search warrant to examine the Honda found no evidence that it had been hit by another vehicle.
Based on the totality of the circumstances and evidence discovered during the investigation, it was determined Hendricks was driving at a high rate of speed following behind the unknown Ford pickup. Hendricks activated his brake, lost control of the Honda, departed the roadway to the left and overturned multiple times.
As a result of the collision, Terry Wilkins, 29, Raylan Brown, 5, and Eden Melton, 7, died from the injuries sustained during the collision.
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