Man Arrested After Allegedly Leaving Teen Daughter To Die In Car Crash
An Oklahoma man was taken into custody last week after allegedly leaving his injured family at the scene of a car accident that killed his teenage daughter.
Elliot Binney was accused of manslaughter in connection with the death of his 16-year-old daughter after Bixby police responded to a rollover car crash on Jan. 11, according to KJRH, which cites police reports. Binney has not yet been formally charged.
According to the outlet, responding officers found that Binney’s daughter, Shelby, had been ejected from the vehicle.
Investigators said the teen girl was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. She was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Binney’s wife and two elementary school-aged children were taken to the hospital following the crash.
Shelby Binney died in a car accident in Bixby, Oklahoma, on Jan. 11.
According to News on 6, police said Binney’s car flipped over after he lost control while speeding and passing other vehicles in a no-passing zone.
Bixby police Chief Todd Blish told News on 6 that Binney left the scene on foot immediately following the crash, then grabbed a second vehicle from a “family-owned business” to flee.
According to the outlet, police were able to track down Binney’s second car and located him almost 50 miles away in Checotah, Oklahoma.
Body-camera footage released by the Checotah Police Department shows Binney in a gray pickup truck. In the footage, police pull over Binney and tell him to exit the vehicle.
According to FOX affiliate KOKI-TV, a bottle of vodka was found at the scene of the crash, and Binney allegedly told police he’d taken a drink from the bottle during the drive.
Binney’s wife also told officers that she and her husband were arguing before the crash.
According to reports by KJRH, last week’s incident is Binney’s fourth hit-and-run allegation, though he has never been convicted.
Binney, now 41, was charged with driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident when he was 19, but those charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal, according to KJRH.
He was also charged with leaving the scene of an accident in two other, separate incidents, but those charges were dismissed for unclear reasons in 2010 and 2016.
Shelby Binney had been a cheerleader with Oklahoma Xtreme Allstar Cheer. The group called her “a bright light in the gym” and a “hard working athlete” in a statement posted on Facebook.
“She had a heart of gold and showed kindness to all. Shelby always had a smile on her face,” the team’s post read. “She loved her teammates, coaches, and the gym. We miss her terribly.”
It’s unclear whether the rest of the family members have been released from the hospital. Bixby police did not give HuffPost a statement on the condition of the other family members.
In an interview with News on 6, Ainsley Young, one of Shelby Binney’s friends, described the teen as “a really wonderful person.”
“She never fails to make anyone smile when they need it,” Young said. “She was such a joy and light into people’s lives.”
Elliot Binney was released on bail. The Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office told HuffPost in an email that charges against Binney are pending as they review police reports.