64-year-old drunk driver kills a motorcyclist in a tragic wrong-way crash
Our nation’s highways are a dangerous place. Distracted drivers, speeders, tired truckers, massive potholes, and so much more. It’s an exhaustive list. However, it’s tragic and downright preventable for a drunk driver to put others in harm’s way by driving the wrong way on a busy highway. It’s especially tragic when the crime claims the life of an innocent motorist.
A near-elderly drunk driver hit two motorcycles while driving the wrong way on an Oklahoma highway, killing one of the riders
James Basse, a 64-year-old Oklahoma man, got behind the wheel at around 9:00 p.m. on Sunday. Unfortunately, Basse was reportedly intoxicated when he did so. At the same time, two motorcycle riders were heading west on the Inner Dispersal Loop, a ring highway that encircles downtown Tulsa.
Unfortunately for the motorcyclists, the drunk driver was also on the Inner Dispersal Loop and in the westbound lanes of all places. Unlucky for the riders, to say the least. But Basse wasn’t heading west in the westbound lanes. According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the drunk driver merged onto the Inner Dispersal Loop in the wrong direction, driving eastbound in the westbound lanes.
Tragically, Basse struck the two motorcycle riders in his inebriated state. One of the motorcyclists, 21-year-old Carlos Arteaga, died right there on the scene. Emergency medical personnel transported the second rider, who was still in the hospital at the time of this writing.
OHP officers say that Basse was, in fact, drunk when he started driving in the wrong direction on the highway. While an action like that is already grounds for a pretty serious DUI and reckless driving charge, Basse’s crime resulted in death. As a result, authorities booked Basse for first-degree manslaughter in addition to his DUI.
It’s a sobering reminder to never drink and drive. Have a plan. It’s more than just for your safety. Getting behind the wheel of a car after having too many puts others in danger as well. Frankly, it’s also a reminder for motorcyclists to maintain situational awareness, seek rider training, and invest in good safety gear.
