Woman charged in deadly crash allegedly used 'whippets' while driving, passenger's family asks for change
Not only is the victim's family still mourning their loss, but they also have a message about these drugs that they say are too easy to get
Not only is the victim's family still mourning their loss, but they also have a message about these drugs that they say are too easy to get
Not only is the victim's family still mourning their loss, but they also have a message about these drugs that they say are too easy to get
A Shawnee family said they hope the loss of their son can be used for good after the 18-year-old died after a single-vehicle crash.
| MORE | 1 person dies after car collides with tree in Norman
The driver involved in the crash in Norman, identified as Sutton Petz, was found to allegedly be using nitrous oxide, commonly referred to as "whippets" — an inhalant drug. Petz was passed out while behind the wheel.
Not only is the victim's family still mourning their loss, but they also have a message about these drugs that they say are too easy to get.
"He was a big kid, but he was a teddy bear, and he was just lovable. And his favorite thing to do was to make people laugh. He got no greater joy than to make people laugh," said Candi Morris, whose son, Maddix, died in the crash.
Maddix was a young adult with a new diploma and career aspirations.
"He graduated last year from high school, but he was pursuing a career in masonry and carpentry. He was doing construction," Morris said.
Maddix died in early February. His family said he was a passenger in the car that went off the road on Alameda Drive.
On Tuesday, the family received an update on the crash investigation. Law enforcement officials said they think the driver was using whippets.
"You can purchase it at vape stores or on Amazon, and this has become a thing or a fad that’s going on," Morris said.
Whippets are essentially drugs named after aerosol canisters that people abuse to get high off the gas. While people 18 and older can buy them legally, they can be dangerous.
"I’ve been in dentistry for 23 years, and I have to have a license to be able to administer it in my office under my dentist, and he even has to have a license," Morris said.
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Maddix's parents said they hope the loss will be a wake-up call for other families.
"This was senseless that we had to lose our son. It was preventable. Absolutely preventable and should not have happened," Morris said. "Obviously it’s the hardest thing we’ve ever had to go through, and I don’t wish it on anybody for sure."
The family also said they hope laws and restrictions are passed in the legislature against these drugs.
Petz was charged with first-degree manslaughter and DUI with great bodily injury. She is set to appear in court on May 8.
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