A two-vehicle crash near 120th Avenue Southeast and East State Highway 9 in Norman left one driver in critical condition and the other with minor injuries Monday morning. Police say an SUV heading north on 120th Avenue SE failed to yield at a stop sign before turning onto Highway 9, where it was struck by a pickup truck.
Norman police responded just before 9:20 a.m. to the two-vehicle wreck, according to KFOR. Both drivers were transported to the hospital, with one suffering minor injuries and the other listed in critical condition. The station reports the crash remains under investigation.
As reported by KOKH, the Norman Police Department was joined by the OU Police Department in investigating the collision, which happened Monday morning near the same intersection.
Highway Closed for Hours, Then Reopened
The crash briefly shut down both directions of State Highway 9, according to KOCO. Eastbound and westbound lanes of Highway 9 were blocked between 108th Avenue Southeast and East Imhoff Road, while northbound lanes of 120th Avenue Southeast were closed at the highway. The station reported the highway has since reopened, though details about the crash and the conditions of those involved had not been released at the time of that report.
A Corridor With a Documented Crash History
The stretch of Highway 9 near 120th Avenue sits within a corridor that safety researchers have flagged before. A 2026 study conducted for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation found just over 100 collisions along a six-mile section of Highway 9 between 48th and 120th Avenue from 2017 through 2022, including about six very severe collisions or fatalities, according to citizenportal.ai. The study identified right-angle and turning crashes tied to frequent access points and travel speeds of roughly 60 to 65 mph as the most common types along the corridor.
The consultant behind the study recommended long-term access-management changes, including a continuous median, restricted crossing U-turns at side streets, and designated U-turn locations, per the same account. Near-term fixes floated in the report included added right-turn lanes, improved intersection lighting and signage, along with other measures. ODOT judged traffic signals warranted at only a couple of locations, notably 120th Avenue and possibly 48th Avenue under future traffic volumes.
No further details on Monday's crash, including the drivers' identities or a possible cause beyond the SUV's alleged failure to yield, had been released as of the latest reporting. The investigation by Norman police continues.
