Staff reports
Tragedy struck during the weekend when a Pauls Valley area teenager was killed after falling off a moving vehicle.
The Friday night incident claimed the life of 15-year-old Zane Barnes, a freshman at Wynnewood High School living in the Wynnewood and Pauls Valley area.
Barnes was riding on the tailgate of a pickup when he fell off and struck his head on a private driveway, according to troopers with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The incident occurred at a listed time of 8:37 p.m. Friday at a site about 7/10ths of a mile west of Interstate 35 and 525 feet north of state Highway 29.
Khini Lee Billings of Pauls Valley, 17, was driving the 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche that Barnes fell off. Another passenger was Dillon Rose, 15, also of Pauls Valley.
Both of those individuals were, according to troopers, wearing seat belts as the pickup traveled southbound on the driveway. Officials indicated the trio were on the way to dump some trash.
Barnes was seated on the tailgate and troopers reported it remains unknown what caused the teen to fall off. Troopers also reported there was no improper action by the vehicle’s driver.
Barnes was taken by Pauls Valley EMS to Pauls Valley General Hospital, where he died from the head injury.
Neither Billings or Rose were injured, reports show.
Working with OHP trooper Heath Green at the scene were Garvin County deputies.
