Randall Wagner, Debbie Lee Obituary, Death Cause: OHP Investigates Deadly Three-Vehicle Crash Near Afton

Randall Wagner and Debbie Lee, both residents of Grove, Oklahoma, lost their lives in a tragic three-vehicle collision that unfolded on the evening of June 26, 2025. The crash, which occurred at approximately 5:41 p.m., took place on U.S. Highway 59 about 3.5 miles east of Afton, near South 564 Road in Ottawa County. According to initial reports from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP), Wagner, 70, was behind the wheel of a 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer traveling eastbound when his vehicle crossed the center line into oncoming traffic. That fatal deviation led to a head-on collision with a 2020 Kia Soul, driven by 69-year-old Debbie Lee. Both Wagner and Lee were pronounced dead at the scene. Also involved in the crash was 61-year-old Olivette Wagner, a passenger in the Trailblazer, who sustained injuries and was transported by Quapaw EMS to Mercy Hospital in Joplin, Missouri, where she was admitted in fair condition. A third vehicle, a Nissan Rogue operated by 34-year-old Kayla Getz of Seneca, Missouri, attempted evasive action but struck the Trailblazer; she escaped uninjured.

As officials from OHP continue to investigate, the incident underscores the unpredictable dangers of rural highways and the high stakes of even a momentary lapse behind the wheel. The narrative that unfolded on that stretch of Highway 59 reflects not only a sequence of physical events but also the devastating impact that such collisions have on families and communities, leaving a trail of questions, grief, and urgency in their wake. The precise reason Randall Wagner’s vehicle veered into the opposing lane remains unknown, but its consequences are achingly clear. The deaths of Wagner and Lee, who were both approaching their 70s, mark a particularly painful loss for the Grove community, which now finds itself mourning two of its own in a crash that may ultimately have been preventable.

In any investigation involving fatalities, the first task for law enforcement is to establish a factual sequence—what happened, when, where, and how. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s presence at the scene signals not only the seriousness of the event but also the importance of answering these foundational questions. Investigators are likely analyzing roadway evidence such as skid marks, point-of-impact damage, and potential mechanical failures, all while interviewing survivors and witnesses. Every detail, however minor it may seem, feeds into the greater narrative that determines culpability, cause, and recommendations for prevention.

The involvement of three vehicles adds further complexity to the analysis. According to the report, the Nissan Rogue driven by Kayla Getz was not directly struck in the initial collision but became entangled in the aftermath while trying to avoid the impact. That she managed to escape injury does not diminish the psychological toll such a violent and sudden event can inflict. Crashes of this magnitude often leave survivors with deep emotional scars, especially when they bear witness to fatalities.

For Olivette Wagner, who was riding with her husband in the Trailblazer, the horror was even more direct. Suffering internal and external injuries, she was rushed across state lines to Mercy Hospital in Joplin, Missouri. Her condition—fair but injured—serves as a reminder of how close the line is between survival and loss in such high-speed incidents. Her role as both a survivor and a witness will likely be crucial to the investigation. Her testimony, once she’s able to give it, may offer insight into what happened inside the Trailblazer in the moments leading up to the crash. Did Randall Wagner experience a medical emergency? Was there a distraction or sudden environmental factor? These are not just legal questions but human ones—key to understanding how a routine drive turned fatal.

Meanwhile, the loss of Debbie Lee in her Kia Soul represents another poignant thread in the story. As a fellow Grove resident, her passing links two families—and a broader community—in shared grief. Whether she was simply heading home, running errands, or visiting family that day, the randomness of her loss speaks to the vulnerability that all drivers face on rural roads. Rural highways, often scenic and quiet, can turn treacherous in an instant, especially where traffic patterns, limited lighting, or narrow shoulders come into play.

U.S. Highway 59, the site of the crash, is no stranger to such incidents. Though generally less congested than urban freeways, highways like this one carry their own risks—higher speeds, two-lane traffic, and fewer barriers between opposing directions. In such environments, the margin for error is thin. A single moment—crossing a center line—can unleash irreversible consequences.

The crash has ignited sorrow throughout Grove and the nearby communities of Seneca and Afton. These are not sprawling cities where incidents blur into the background noise of daily life. They are tight-knit towns where losses are deeply felt, and where the names of the deceased are not anonymous headlines but familiar ones—neighbors, friends, fellow churchgoers, longtime customers at the local grocery store. The sense of mourning here is communal, and it will likely persist well beyond the investigative updates or insurance claims.

For the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the incident adds urgency to their broader public safety mission. Each collision investigated is also a data point in a wider pattern—part of an effort to improve road safety, identify systemic risks, and educate the public. Whether the outcome of this investigation leads to recommendations for clearer signage, road widening, or increased patrol presence remains to be seen. But it is clear that the lessons learned from this crash will inform future decisions, at both the state and municipal levels.

The legal implications also remain open. Although no criminal charges are suggested by the initial facts—especially with the driver at fault among the deceased—there may still be insurance complexities, potential civil suits, and policy reviews to follow. These are the less visible but equally important aspects of post-crash procedures, especially when multiple parties and states are involved, as with the hospital transport to Missouri and the involvement of a Missouri-based driver.

At the human level, though, the story returns to the loss of Randall Wagner and Debbie Lee. At 70 and 69 respectively, they were nearing the decade in life often marked by retirement, reflection, and family. That their lives were cut short not by illness or age, but by the violent convergence of steel and asphalt, adds a jarring sense of injustice. For their families, the grief will unfold over time—through memorials, through the logistics of loss, and through the quiet, daily reminders of absence.

As the investigation progresses and more details emerge, what remains is a call for reflection—not just by officials, but by all who travel these roads. The crash on Highway 59 is a stark reminder of the fragility embedded in every journey, and the responsibility that comes with every set of keys. In honoring the memory of those lost, perhaps the most enduring tribute is vigilance—the kind that might prevent another tragedy from joining this one in the annals of unheeded warning.

The final report from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol is still pending. But the community already understands what it has lost. In Grove, in Seneca, and in every home that received the news of June 26, the echoes of that evening remain—etched into the road, carried in the hearts of the living, and serving as a solemn caution to all who pass that way again.