Oklahoma Woman Pleads Guilty To Killing Man Bicycling Across The U.S.

A Cordell woman charged with killing one bicycle rider and injuring another one last year while texting and driving accepted a plea deal Thursday.

Sarah Morris, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter and one count of overtaking a bicycle.

Morris told troopers she was distracted by her phone when her car hit Patrick Wanninkhof, 25, and 22-year-old Bridget Anderson on Highway 152 south of Elk City on July 30, 2015.

After accepting the plea deal, the judge sentenced Morris to 15 years, but suspended all but 10 months. She will also have to give 18 lectures over three years about the dangers of texting and driving.

Wanninkhof and Anderson were part of Bike & Build, a Philadelphia-based group that organizes cross-country bike rides where participants raise money for affordable housing. Wanninkhof was a route leader for this particular ride, which was going from Maine to Santa Barbara, California.

The group made a stop in Tulsa the weekend before the incident. They spent their time in Tulsa working with Habitat for Humanity.

7/31/2015 Related Story: Cyclist Killed After Helping Tulsa Habitat For Humanity

The Wanninkhof and Anderson families were in the courtroom to see Morris plead guilty.

"We wanted to see some indication that the defendant took some responsibility for the horrible thing she did and we feel that accepting this deal was a small indication," said Rik Wanninkhof, Patrick's father.

Rik Wanninkhof flew from Florida read victim impact statements he and his daughter had written. Patrick was a physics teacher for Teach for America in New York City. 

"I was looking out the courthouse door and see the road that Patrick was killed on. That really sort of affects you. These were his last scenes on earth," said Rik Wanninkhof.

7/31/2015 Related Story: 'Bike & Build' Group Shaken By Rider's Death In Oklahoma

Anderson's father read his daughter's victim impact statement. She wrote about the 11 surgeries she's undergone since the incident, and the fear she's felt about possibly losing her leg.

Morris will begin her sentence on December 10. She has to pay $46,854 in restitution and will have to take defensive driving class after she is released. She also has to maintain employment. She is currently a registered nurse and will have to continue the required annual training to keep her certification.

Wanninkhof's mother has started her own campaign to end texting and driving. She calls it Sock-It and encourages people to buy a pair of socks to hold their phone while they drive. One sock is for the buyer and the other is to give to a friend. She hopes to spread the message, "Never text and drive."

Justin Villere, Senior Director of Operations and Development for Bike & Build, released the following statement on the plea agreement:

"We continue to keep Patrick and his family, as well as Bridget and her family, in our thoughts. Distracted driving impacts not only people on bikes but any person who uses the road in any fashion. Two years ago, 720 Americans were killed by motorists while riding their bike. This is a problem for all of us. We implore all people in vehicles to remember Patrick’s death and to put away your phone."