A 56-year-old Goodwell man is dead after a commercial truck struck him while he was riding his bicycle along U.S. Highway 54 in rural Texas County, and the driver told troopers he had no idea he had hit a person. Richard Romero was pronounced dead at the scene near Mile Marker 24, about nine miles west of Hutch's Truck Stop, following the crash late Wednesday night.
According to KVII, Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers were called to the highway near Mile Marker 24 at about 8:49 a.m. Thursday, where they found evidence of a crash involving an unknown vehicle and a bicycle. Investigators soon identified the driver as 57-year-old Christopher Paul Cordova of Buckeye, Arizona, who told troopers the collision happened around 9:48 p.m. Wednesday, as reported by Seward County KSCB. Cordova was not injured and said he did not realize he had struck a person.
Troopers Track Down the Truck Overnight
Investigators located a vehicle of interest believed to be involved in the crash, the station's report notes. Troopers Jay Jech and Travis Burgess responded to process the scene, and the case has since been turned over to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol's Traffic Homicide Unit for a full investigation, per the same account.
The stretch of highway where Romero died is no quiet backroad. U.S. Highway 54 runs 56.1 miles diagonally across Texas County, functioning as a heavily used commercial freight corridor linking New Mexico and Texas to Kansas, according to OKHighways.com. That volume of nighttime semi-truck traffic, combined with the area's unlit rural roads, creates heightened risk for cyclists after dark.
Questions About the Case
Whether Cordova faces charges remains unclear. He told troopers he did not realize he had struck a person.
Oklahoma law also spells out protections meant for cyclists like Romero. Statute Title 47 § 11-1202 grants bicyclists the same rights and duties on public roads as motor vehicle drivers, while § 11-1208 requires motorists to change lanes when passing a cyclist on multi-lane roads or maintain at least three feet of clearance on single-lane roads, per the Oklahoma Bicycle Coalition. Cyclists riding an unlit highway after sundown face heightened risks.
A Goodwell Man's Death Under Investigation
Romero was from Goodwell. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol's Traffic Homicide Unit continues to investigate the crash that killed him.
