Mother of Barnsdall teenager killed in crash speaks out after driver arrested

A Barnsdall mother is demanding justice for her 15-year-old son who was killed in a crash and is relieved the driver has now been charged with manslaughter.

Investigators say Weston Lowe was driving drunk with his 16-year-old daughter, her boyfriend Tyson Townley, 15, and another passenger when he crashed.

Lowe's daughter and the other passenger were injured and Townley was killed.

Townley's mother says he was an amazing kid who loved his family, loved making people laugh and loved baseball.

She says she will do everything she can to keep his memory alive.

Townley was celebrating his girlfriend's 16th birthday in Barnsdall in May with family and friends when investigators say her father, Lowe, was driving drunk and got into an accident.

Townley's mother says the last few weeks have been a nightmare.

“I can’t even describe what this has done to us and how we feel,” Stacey Harris said. “I'm still trying to deal with it honestly. A tornado hit the town right after, that's a lot.

Prosecutors charged Lowe with involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment and leaving the scene of a fatal accident, after officers said they found him hiding nearly a mile from the scene .

Harris says she's happy they're taking another step toward justice.

“I’m very grateful for that, that he wasn’t out for a whole year before he started,” Harris said. “I'm very grateful that it's starting now. But it still doesn't change what took from us. It won't bring Tyson back and it never will. We were given a life sentence for something we didn't want receive.

She says it's frustrating that another parent would put their child in danger like this.

“I don’t let people have my kids,” Harris said. “I'm very particular about it. I'm protective, I guess. Trusting them, that they're going to take care of him like we do, and that he does, because he made the decision to take the wheel.

She hopes other people will talk to their children about not getting in a car with someone who has been drinking, even an adult, and about the importance of finding another way home.

“Don’t drive drunk,” Harris said. “There is no reason, there is no excuse, there is nothing at all that you can say to explain why you did this. And it changes the lives of many people.”

Harris plans to be present for each court date.

News On 6 reached out to Lowe's family who did not want to speak on camera, but his daughter sent us a statement last week saying her father is a good father who made a mistake and he did not left the scene but was looking for her boyfriend.

News On 6 has not heard back from Lowe's attorney.