Jenks High School Student Dies In A Creek Turnpike Traffic Accident

Shock and sadness as a Jenks High School student, who was also on the Jenks football team, is killed in a vehicle accident on the Creek Turnpike Wednesday afternoon. <br/><br/>The Oklahoma Highway Patrol

Wednesday, July 12th 2006, 12:23 pm

By: News On 6

Shock and sadness as a Jenks High School student, who was also on the Jenks football team, is killed in a vehicle accident on the Creek Turnpike Wednesday afternoon.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says a paintball fight between occupants of two vehicles caused the wreck. It happened on the Creek Turnpike, just west of US highway 75. 17 year old Garrett Bennett was thrown the vehicle and died at the scene.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper George Brown: "the turnpike, the highway is no place for horseplay. It's no place to be rolling down the road and shooting paintballs at a vehicle. And in this case it ended in somebody's death."

Jenks school officials say the death is devastating to the Jenks school family. Jenks Superintendent Dr. Kirby Lehman: "this is a tragedy and honestly the most difficult time in any school district's history is to lose a student."

Bennett played offensive line on the Jenks High School football team. Many members of the football team met at the high school stadium Wednesday night.

The school will have counselors on hand Thursday to help students cope with the loss of Garrett Bennett. Bennett is being remembered with many fond memories from classmates. Luke Russell: "He was real nice. He was a funny guy. Didn't talk that much but when he did he was funny.â€

Two other students were taken to a Tulsa hospital, but their injuries aren't considered life threatening.