The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said the driver who struck and killed an Osage County deputy last Friday was a 14-year-old girl.
Investigators say the girl hit another driver before crashing into Capt. Willy Hargraves’ truck.
Officers say a 42-year-old woman was in the passenger seat, but she and the 14-year-old were not seriously injured in the crash.
Troopers say Hargraves was trapped for several hours before being rescued by first responders.
Officers initially reported that the adult was the driver, but determined that was not the case during the investigation. There was also a third vehicle involved whose driver was also not injured.
The report shows the deputy was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
Since the accident, members of the Oklahoma community have been finding ways to honor Captain Hargraves’ life.
Several people say Captain Hargraves was an amazing man, deputy and fire chief and now want to pay their respects in any way they can.
Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden said everything has been a whirlwind since Captain Hargraves died in a car accident on Friday.
“Of course, when dispatch called saying ‘we have an accident and the captain is involved,’ we got everybody going and responded with lights and sirens heading that way,” Virden said.
He said since the crash, there has been an overwhelming show of support from the community in the form of a temporary patrol car memorial at the sheriff’s office and a cross placed at the fire department in Osage Cove, where Captain Hargraves was the fire chief for many years. .
“There are all kinds of letters, flyers, flags, it’s growing every day,” Virden said.
Idle Time Creations in Skiatook also prints and sells t-shirts as a fundraiser, all proceeds going to Willy’s wife and three children. Owner Kelly Young said the shirts will be on sale for the next several weeks. They can be purchased online here***** http://idletimecreations.com/idle_time_creations/shop/home
“I think it’s important to the family and it’s an honor for us to be able to do it,” Young said.
Sheriff Virden said it has been a dark few days for the department, but the light of love from the community is showing.
“This is something that really lets our staff and their families know that the sacrifices they make count,” Virden said.
Community members said they plan to place a banner and other signs at the memorials in the coming days to make sure people remember Captain Hargraves.
The patrol car will be out there for the next few weeks if you want to come out and add to the memorial.
If you would like to make a financial donation to the family, you can do so at Blue Sky Bank in Pawhuska. or click here for more donation options. Funeral arrangements for Captain Hargraves can also be found on this page.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has released an official report on the crash that killed an Osage County deputy.
Related story: Deputy killed in Osage County crash identified
