CHOCTAW, OK — A 25-year-old mother died Thursday evening in a crash on NE 23rd in Choctaw, and her six children were injured in the wreck. Police said the collision happened just before 7 p.m. and sent the family to the hospital.
Authorities identified the woman as Kaitie Tabor. Police said Tabor and her 3-month-old baby were ejected from the vehicle, though the baby, who was in a car seat, survived. Tabor later died at the hospital, while all six children were listed in stable condition.
Crash left six young children hurt and a baby survived after being ejected
The children in the vehicle ranged in age from 3 months to 7 years old. All six were taken to the hospital after the crash and remained in stable condition, according to police.
The detail that Tabor and the infant were ejected underscores how violent the impact was. Even so, officers said the baby survived, and the child’s car seat likely played a role in that outcome. Police have not said exactly what caused the crash, and the investigation is still open.
The wreck has added urgency to an already familiar safety concern on the stretch of road where it happened. For some residents, Thursday’s collision was the worst outcome of dangers they say they have been describing for years.
Residents say NE 23rd has blind hills, narrow shoulders and little warning
Richard Watson, who lives off NE 23rd, said drivers regularly come over a blind hill too fast and strike the curb. He said the road is marked as a 55 mph zone, but in his view traffic often moves much faster.
Watson said the shoulder disappears in places and the curbs sit close to homes along the highway. He said a car hit a curb and clipped his home last July, adding to local concern about the roadway.
He also pointed to the lack of warning features. In his words, there are no streetlights, warning signs or reflective material to alert drivers that the shoulder gives way to a curb. That, he said, leaves motorists with little time to react when they crest the hill.
Mayor Chad Allcox says he has pushed for changes for years
Choctaw Mayor Chad Allcox said he has been pressing for safety improvements along NE 23rd for years. He said the crash fits a pattern of serious wrecks on the corridor that he believes needs attention from state transportation officials.
Allcox said the city has had six severe car accidents on the road over the last two years. He said none were fatal until Thursday night’s crash. That toll, he said, is part of why he continues to ask for changes.
The mayor said he has asked the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to add traffic lights at Triple X Road, Indian Meridian and McDonald Road. He said progress has been slow and that, at present, the area is not scheduled to receive assistance until 2032.
ODOT says it reviews crashes and major projects take years to plan
On Friday afternoon, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation said safety sits at the center of its decisions. The agency said that after crashes on state highways and interstates, it reviews the available facts and circumstances, including the law enforcement report, to look for possible safety improvements.
ODOT also said major transportation projects are often years in the making. The agency said it remains committed to safety and transparency through the planning process and will keep sharing updates and public input opportunities before construction begins.
The statement did not address a specific timeline for NE 23rd beyond the broader planning process. It also did not announce immediate changes following Thursday’s wreck.
A neighborhood fear that more serious crashes could follow
For Watson and other nearby residents, the concern is not just the latest wreck. It is the possibility that the same road conditions could produce another tragedy before improvements arrive.
Watson said he has lived there for about 12 years and has watched people repeatedly miss the curb after coming over the hill. He described a pattern that he believes has been building for years, with everyday traffic turning dangerous at speed.
Allcox said that fear is what drives his continued calls for action. He said he worries that more people could lose their lives if changes keep moving at the pace they have so far.
What is known now about the crash and the road ahead
Police have not said what caused the crash, and investigators are still working through the case. What is clear is that a mother died, six children were hurt and a familiar local worry has turned into a fresh push for road safety changes.
The crash happened on a state roadway where residents say speeding, a disappearing shoulder and a lack of warning features have long created risk. Local leaders say they want traffic lights and other improvements, while ODOT says long-term planning governs projects of this size.
For now, the family’s loss and the children’s injuries remain at the center of the story. The broader argument over NE 23rd is likely to continue as residents and officials weigh how soon meaningful changes can be made.
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