Elliott Lincoln Binney had been driving his wife and three children through rainy Oklahoma roads when authorities say he lost control of his vehicle, sending it rolling down an embankment and ejecting his 16-year-old daughter Shelby onto the pavement. Instead of staying to help her, prosecutors alleged he ran.
Background
The Binney family had been traveling together on January 11, 2024, when the fatal crash occurred near East 171st Street South in Tulsa County. According to investigators with the Bixby Police Department, Elliott Binney was attempting to pass other vehicles on a rain-slicked roadway despite dangerous conditions. Witnesses told police he was traveling at a high rate of speed and crossing into a no-passing zone shortly before losing control of his vehicle.
The rollover crash ejected Shelby Binney from the car. First responders found her ejected from the vehicle upon arrival, authorities said. Her mother Brittany Binney and two other children remained inside the vehicle and were transported to a hospital for treatment.
Shelby later died from her injuries sustained in the crash.
The Investigation
Investigators discovered an open bottle of vodka at the scene of the crash. Binney later admitted to police that he had taken a "gulp" of alcohol moments before the collision, according to Tulsa NBC affiliate KJRH reporting.
"What was provable was his reckless driving, the death of his daughter, the injuries to his wife and children, and his leaving the scene," Tulsa District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler told the court, per KOTV. While Binney admitted to drinking vodka and alcohol was found in the car, prosecutors determined there was "no provable evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that he was driving his family while he was impaired."
Rather than remaining at the scene to aid his injured family, authorities said Binney fled on foot before first responders arrived. He later retrieved another vehicle from a nearby business and fled the area. Law enforcement tracked him down and arrested him in Checotah, approximately 50 miles away.
Binney pleaded guilty in April to charges of first-degree manslaughter, child neglect, leaving the scene of a fatal accident, and transporting an open container. On Monday, he was sentenced to five years in prison — the maximum term sought by prosecutors who had recommended between two and five years behind bars.
"You can't just do those kinds of things to another human being, even if it's your own child," Kunzweiler reportedly said in court.
Key Takeaways
- Shelby Binney, 16, was ejected from the vehicle during the rollover crash and later died from her injuries
- Elliott Lincoln Binney admitted to police he took a "gulp" of vodka before the collision occurred
- Binney fled on foot after the crash and was arrested approximately 50 miles away in Checotah
- He pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, child neglect, leaving the scene of a fatal accident, and transporting an open container
- His wife Brittany Binney opposed prison time for her husband, telling the judge his punishment should be living with the loss of their daughter
What's Next
Binney will begin serving his five-year sentence immediately. The case drew significant regional attention due to the tragic circumstances surrounding a father's alleged abandonment of his injured family at the scene.
Brittany Binney expressed concerns about the impact her husband's incarceration would have on their two remaining children, who she said continue to grieve their sister's death.