A pedestrian was struck by a driver near Southeast 44th Street and Shields Boulevard in Oklahoma City Wednesday morning, and the driver took off without stopping. Police say the victim is alive, but officers have not released further details on their condition.
According to News9, the pedestrian was walking near the intersection when they were struck by another driver around 6 a.m. The outlet reports that the driver fled the scene shortly after, and police are now working to obtain a vehicle description or the identity of the driver. A conflicting timeline from KOKH states that emergency crews were called to the crash around 6:30 a.m. that same morning.
Paramedics rushed the victim to a nearby hospital, though their condition was not known at the time of the reports, per the station's account. The KOCO reported that the Oklahoma City Police Department is searching for the driver involved, and officers have given no suspect description so far. KOCO 5 said it plans to provide more details as they become available.
Drivers Urged to Avoid the Area During Rush Hour
Drivers were encouraged to avoid the area around Southeast 44th and Shields through the morning rush hour as the investigation into the crash continued, the same outlet's report noted. The closure and ongoing search came as police worked to piece together what happened and locate the driver responsible.
Wednesday's crash adds to a string of pedestrian collisions that have rattled the same stretch of southeast Oklahoma City in recent weeks. On Oct. 13, officers responded to a crash involving a pedestrian in a wheelchair near Southeast 42nd Street and Shields Boulevard, just blocks from Wednesday's scene, according to KOKH. That victim was transported to a hospital but was later pronounced deceased, and an arrest was made in that case.
A Pattern of Pedestrian Crashes Across the City
The southeast corridor has seen other hit-and-runs as well. A separate crash involving a pedestrian happened shortly after 2:30 a.m. near Southeast 44th Street and Sunnylane Road, not far from Wednesday's location, per KOCO. Another hit-and-run was reported in western Oklahoma City near Portland and Reno, where police said the driver also fled the scene.
The crashes follow a stretch in which four people were hit by vehicles across Oklahoma City within a single 24-hour period, two of whom died, according to KOCO. In the wake of that toll, Oklahoma City police urged drivers and pedestrians alike to slow down and pay attention. No suspect information has been released in Wednesday's case, and police have not said whether charges are anticipated.
