Sutton Petz: Woman arrested for killing teen, injuring another in crash after fainting from laughing gas

TECUMSEH, OKLAHOMA: A Norman woman was arrested for allegedly causing the death of teenage passenger Maddix Bias in a crash that occurred this February.

The arrest followed the issuance of an arrest warrant, according to a statement from the District Attorney’s Office in Cleveland County, Oklahoma.

According to police and prosecutors in Oklahoma, Sutton Petz was unconscious behind the wheel, allegedly rendered unconscious from inhaling nitrous oxide whippets, when her car crashed, resulting in the tragic death of 18-year-old passenger Maddix Bias.

Sutton Petz charged with manslaughter after killing Maddix Bias

Sutton Petz, aged 28, was briefly held in jail before being released on a $250,000 bond, according to online court records.

She is scheduled to appear for arraignment on May 8 as per Law&Crime.

Petz faces charges of first-degree manslaughter and driving under the influence causing serious bodily harm. As of now, she has not entered a plea.

What happened to Maddix Bias?

Maddix Bias, a resident of Tecumseh, Oklahoma, was a passenger in Petz's 2016 Jeep Wrangler when the incident occurred.

Prosecutors allege that Petz was inhaling nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, which caused her to abruptly lose consciousness and control of the vehicle.

The car veered off the road, traversed through a grass ditch, and became airborne before colliding with several trees and flipping onto its side, as detailed in a probable cause affidavit filed by the reporting officer.

Police commented, “One passenger inside the vehicle was killed due to injuries sustained in the collision. A second passenger suffered multiple injuries: dislocated left collarbone, fractured sternum and a dislocated left shoulder as a result of the collision,” 

What did Maddix Bias’ mother claim?

An obituary for Bias mentioned that he is survived by his parents and a large extended family. 

Bias graduated from Tecumseh High School the previous year and was enrolled in the Gordon Cooper Technology Center for Carpentry and Masonry at the time of his death.

His mother, Candi Morris, shared that her son was affectionately known as "a big kid, but he was a teddy bear, and he was just lovable." 

She added, "And his favorite thing to do was to make people laugh. He got no greater joy than to make people laugh."

The Alcohol and Drug Foundation highlighted that nitrous oxide can be inhaled by opening commonly available whipped cream canisters and allowing the gas to flow directly into the mouth or into a balloon. 

While it can induce a brief euphoric high, it can also result in immediate and dangerous effects on the brain, including loss of consciousness.

Nitrous oxide can be found in dentists’ offices and auto shops.

Bias' mother emphasized in February that nitrous oxide is too readily available for teens to misuse, labeling her son's death as "senseless" and "preventable." 

She remarked, "I've been in dentistry for 23 years, and I have to have a license to be able to administer it in my office under my dentist, and he even has to have a license."