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October 20, 2009

OKC man in critical condition after crash with deer

Press staff reports

CHICKEN CREEK – An Oklahoma City man was listed in critical condition Saturday night after the motorcycle he was riding hit a deer.

James Ray Blakely, 39, was riding a 2007 Kawasaki motorcycle on Chicken Creek Road at 7:05 p.m. Saturday when the deer jumped onto the road and was hit by the motorcycle.

Blakely, who was not wearing a helmet, suffered head injuries. He was taken to Tahlequah City Hospital by Cherokee Nation EMS.

The cause of the crash is listed as an animal in the roadway. Blakely was headed north, and the motorcycle turned onto its side and slid 64 feet, coming to rest against a tree.

The crash was investigated by Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Josh Lawson assisted by OHP Trooper Kane Wyatt, Cherokee Nation EMS, Cherokee County sheriff’s deputies and Chicken Creek firefighters.

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The use of cell phones while driving is increasingly becoming an issue. What do you think about cell phone use by emergency personnel, like law enforcement officers, EMTs, firemen, etc.?

• If the law allows the common citizen to use cell phones while driving, emergency personnel should be able to also.
• Emergency personnel should be held to a higher standard. Since they are often driving faster than normal, they should not be allowed to use cell phones while driving, even if other citizens can.
• They should be allowed to use them like anyone else, but their host entities (hospitals, fire departments, cities, etc.) should carry extra insurance for this reason.
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