Family Fears No Consequences For Driver Accused Of Killing Daughter In High-Speed Crash

A Green Country family waited 10 months for the driver accused of killing their daughter in a high-speed crash, to be charged with a crime.

And now they're worried the driver won't face any consequences, since his case has been moved to juvenile court, after he was initially charged as an adult.

Lori Fullbright sat down with Sierra Custer’s mother and brother about their fight for justice.

Sierra Custer graduated from Broken Arrow high school in 2019. While there, she was a varsity cheerleader and spent an hour every day helping special needs students as a peer tutor.

She was studying to become a special needs teacher, was fiercely loyal and despite her petite size, seemed larger than life.

"Pretty much five foot even, but spoke like she was six foot, 240 pounds. She put everybody before herself," said Dakota Custer, Sierra’s brother.

Sierra spent her mornings and afternoons working at an elementary school. In between, she went home to work on her college classes.

She'd done just that on May 19 of last year and was headed out to get her nails done, when she was killed in a horrific crash, less than 100 yards from her house.

"She stopped at the stop sign and went, and the highway patrol officer investigation shows he was going between 88 and 92. And when he saw her, he slammed on the brakes and still hit her going 77 and both cars flipped. And when her's landed, it exploded,” said Leslie Officer, Sierra’s mother.

Sierra's family said it upsets them that the 17-year-old driver wasn't handcuffed or booked into jail, didn't have to bond out or stand in front of a judge.

Instead, he received a summons in the mail, saying he was charged in Muscogee Nation court as an adult with vehicular homicide, reckless driving, running the stop sign, obstruction and child endangerment, because his passenger was under 17.

"He went through his senior year, got to do all the fun things seniors do. His life has not been altered at all. That hurts a lot," said Leslie.

The driver’s attorney asked for the charges to be moved to juvenile court. The attorney said a judge agreed and the case is now being handled there.

Sierra's family feels like because of that, he won't face any consequences.

"It is not okay for someone to kill another person and not have any consequences. I'm not okay with that. My heart goes out to his mother, because I know, but I don't think it's okay if he doesn't serve any time,” Leslie explained.

They said they were told the driver's passenger had asked him to slow down that day.

"He said he was telling him, 'you have to slow down, too fast, slow down, there's a stop sign coming,' even said, 'I want to live to see tomorrow, slow down,'" Leslie said.

They know nothing will bring Sierra back and said they aren't seeking revenge. But they fear if he walks away from this without punishment this time, something terrible will happen to another family.

"We, our family, we feel like he needs to be tried as an adult. He has to have consequences,” Leslie said.

Their grief is heavy as Sierra's chair is empty at family dinners. They don't get her hugs or to celebrate holidays with her, or see her become a wife and mother.

They couldn't even donate her organs or put her in a casket. She was burned so badly, she had to be identified through dental records.

They drive past the spot of the wreck every day.

"It's hard because now almost a year and a half later and nothing's been done. We want to be able to remember her and not remember this," said Dakota.

Sierra’s mother said, "There's not a day that doesn't go by that I don't think of her several times a day, and I just miss her so much."

The family has created a foundation in Sierra's name. They gave $1,000 this year to a special needs student taking culinary classes and they plan to award similar scholarships every year.

The driver's attorney said the driver and his parents are devastated by the crash and Sierra's death.

He said the boy had no prior issues, was a great student and was doing kid things when a tragedy resulted, and the boy is extremely remorseful.