Widow Files Suit Over Deadly Drilling Rig Explosion

A woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit over the death of her husband in the January explosion of a natural gas drilling rig in southeastern Oklahoma.  Four others died in the blast at a well  site near Quinton.

Dianna Waldridge of Crescent, whose husband 60-year old Parker Waldridge died in the blast filed suit in Pittsburg County
District Court against Red Mountain Energy and Red Mountain Operating of Oklahoma City and Patterson-UTI Drilling and Patterson-UTI Energy, both of Houston, Texas. The suit (CJ-2018-00042) accused the firms of negligence in the blast that killed Waldridge and two others from Oklahoma, one from Texas and one from  Colorado.

Also killed in the fiery blast were Matt Smith of McAlester, Roge Cunningham of Seminole, Josh Ray of Fort Worth and Cody Risk of Wellington, Colorado.

When asked for a comment, Patterson-UTI declined but explained in a statement it was committed to preventing future such accidents. The President of Red Mountain, Tony Say referred questions to his attorney.