An Ark City man was arrested Saturday and is facing multiple felony charges in connection with a fatality traffic accident that occurred July 3 north of Newkirk, Okla.
36-year-old Robert D. Mahoney was booked into the Kay County Detention Center on charges of first degree manslaughter, two counts of causing great bodily injury while driving under suspension and child neglect. Bond is set at $75,000.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the accident, submitted an affidavit that led to an arrest warrant and then took Mahoney into custody. Mahoney affidavit
According to that affidavit, obtained by Cowley Post and Kay NewsCow, Mahoney was the driver of a 2015 maroon Ford Explorer involved in a head-on collision at U.S. 77 highway and Gate Rd. His wife, 42-year-old, Dawnetta Buell, was a passenger in the Explorer and pronounced dead at the scene.
The OHP determined that Mahoney was southbound and entered the northbound lane to pass when he collided with a 2017 Ford Edge driven by 29-year-old Ashley Smith, of Ark City. Both vehicles attempted to avoid the collision and collided in the grass just off the paved surface.
The accident happened around 4 p.m.
Smith, who has required surgery for her injuries, and a juvenile female in her vehicle were hospitalized. An infant boy in the Mahoney vehicle was injured and sent to the hospital.
Falis Dorman, an adult passenger in the Mahoney vehicle, was also injured.
Onboard vehicle data shows the Explorer was traveling at a speed of 83 mph two seconds before impact. It had slowed to a speed of 52 mph at the time of impact.
While emergency personnel were administering life-saving measures, two baggies were found in Buell’s clothing. One was a powdery substance that tested positive for meth and the other a substance that was positive for the presence of fentanyl, according to the affidavit.
Paraphernalia and a small amount of meth were recovered from the passenger side floorboard.
Mahoney was determined to have a suspended license in the state of Kansas and had multiple violations for driving with a suspended license in Kansas. At the time of the crash, he was on probation in Kay County for distribution of a controlled substance.
OHP said the child neglect charge stemmed from the fact that as a parent, Mahoney was obligated to keep his child safe while driving. The infant boy was in a car seat but that car seat was not secured inside the vehicle, according to the affidavit.
Mahoney also informed investigators that meth may have been inside the child’s diaper bag, indicating he knew a dangerous substance was near his child, according to the affidavit.
