Craig Deputy Dies From Injuries Sustained In Car Crash

A deputy with the Craig County Sheriff's Office died Monday night at a Tulsa hospital from injuries sustained in a crash earlier this month.

Deputy Sean Cookson, 23, was hurt in a crash on February 22 on Highway 82 at Gideon Road, about six miles north of Tahlequah.

Craig County Sheriff Heath Winfrey said Deputy Cookson was heading to a mandatory training when the wreck happened.

According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Cookson's wife was driving their Chevy Silverado pickup when it was involved in a wreck with three other vehicles. The OHP says it was foggy and the Silverado rear-ended a car that was waiting to make a left turn, then collided with a Tahoe head on.

Cookson was flown to a Tulsa hospital. Sheriff Winfrey says Cookson was surrounded by fellow law enforcement officers, his wife and family when he died Monday night.

A procession of patrol cars from several law enforcement agencies escorted Cookson's body from St. John Medical Center to the state Medical Examiner's Office in Tulsa.  

Funeral arrangements are pending and the sheriff's office says that information will be released when a date is set.

Sheriff Winfrey says a memorial fund has been set up in Sean Cookson’s name at the First National Bank of Vinita.  

The other people involved in the wreck received only minor injuries.

The Rogers County Sheriff’s office is holding a bake sale from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 1st, 2017 at the courthouse in Claremore to raise money to help Cookson's family.  

Deputies say it is part of their 10-23 program they started a few years ago.  10-23 is the police code for “officer needs assistance.”