LE FLORE COUNTY, Okla. — A Heavener man accused of inattentive driving and having no proof of insurance after allegedly causing a fatal collision has pleaded not guilty, according to court documents.
James Dehart, 36, was arrested in April after reportedly striking a man on a tractor who later died from his injuries on Nov. 13, 2023.
When responders arrived on the scene at U.S. Highway 59 and Merriman Lane in Poteau on Nov. 10, they found a John Deere tractor overturned with several people standing around, according to an affidavit. Paramedics began rendering aid to Lundy Kirk Kiger, 69, who was listed as the tractor's driver.
Kiger, who previously served as a state representative for District 3, was life-flighted to a Tulsa hospital where he later died from his injuries, according to the Poteau Police Department.
Dehart told police he was driving northbound in the outside lane when he saw a tractor, which was also traveling northbound in the outside lane, that looked as if it had "stopped or was driving real slow in the middle of the road."
Court documents say Dehart told police he reached down to grab a milkshake before rear-ending Kiger's tractor with his Chevy Silverado.
When police asked Dehart to provide his insurance after the collision, he reportedly gave them an insurance card for an account that was no longer active. Dehart told police it "was no longer active due to a lapse in payments."
Dehart is set to appear in court on July 24, 2024.
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