Mason Treat, the son of former Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, has continued to face the long-term effects of a devastating Interstate 40 crash that nearly claimed his life in January 2024.
Mason was 16 when the accident happened on January 5, 2024, near Garth Brooks Boulevard in Yukon, Oklahoma. He had been pulled over by a Canadian County sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop after driving a newly purchased vehicle without a license plate. While the stop was underway, a pickup truck pulling a trailer loaded with steel left the roadway and slammed into the back of Mason’s vehicle. Canadian County Deputy Jose Tayahua-Mendoza, who had stopped Mason, was also struck and seriously injured.
The force of the collision caused Mason’s vehicle to be pushed into a concrete barrier, leaving him trapped inside the wreckage. His injuries were severe. His family said he suffered bleeding and swelling on the brain, eight broken ribs, lung damage and nerve damage affecting the right side of his body. He was initially unable to communicate or move normally.
Mason spent 20 days in the hospital, including five days in intensive care, before continuing his recovery through rehabilitation. His family later spoke publicly about the enormous emotional and physical impact of the crash and the difficult months that followed.
The circumstances surrounding the emergency response also became the subject of litigation. In 2025, Greg Treat filed a lawsuit alleging that Mason did not receive timely medical assistance after the collision. The lawsuit claims that responding Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers initially focused on the injured deputy and that Mason was not checked on for approximately 10 minutes. The allegations remain part of pending litigation, and authorities named in the lawsuit have disputed or declined to comment because of the legal proceedings.
The crash ultimately inspired a change in Oklahoma law. Senate Bill 2035 was renamed the Mason Treat Act in honor of Mason after his near-fatal accident. The legislation addressed the process for newly purchased vehicles and temporary license plates, with the goal of reducing unnecessary traffic stops and improving safety for motorists and law enforcement officers. The measure passed overwhelmingly and took effect in 2024.
For the Treat family, however, the legislation represented only one part of a much larger story. Mason’s recovery has been an ongoing process involving rehabilitation and continued medical challenges.
In August 2026, the family revealed that Mason had been hospitalized again after experiencing a medical issue connected to lingering effects of the 2024 crash. His family said he was stable and asked the public to respect their privacy while he dealt with the latest setback.
The new hospitalization renewed attention on the severity of the injuries Mason suffered as a teenager and the fact that surviving a catastrophic crash does not necessarily mean the ordeal ends when a person leaves the hospital.
Mason’s story has also remained closely associated with perseverance. His father has repeatedly described his son’s strength throughout the recovery, while the Oklahoma Senate’s official statement in 2024 called Mason an example of remarkable strength and perseverance.
What began as an ordinary drive to school and basketball became a life-changing event for Mason and his family. The crash left him with serious injuries, prompted a legal battle over the handling of the scene and ultimately contributed to changes in Oklahoma’s vehicle-registration laws.
As Mason continues dealing with the lingering consequences of the accident, his story remains a reminder of how quickly a routine traffic stop can turn into a life-threatening emergency — and how recovery from such an event can continue for years after the initial collision.
