An 18-year-old Shawnee woman died early Thursday after the pickup truck she was riding in veered off westbound Interstate 44 and slammed into the back of a semi-truck parked on the shoulder near the Highway 169 interchange in Tulsa. The driver, also 18, was hospitalized following the crash, which happened just before 4 a.m.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol identified the passenger killed as Addison Harvey of Shawnee, according to KOKH. The outlet reported that the pickup left a westbound lane and the roadway before striking the rear of the semi, which was stopped on the shoulder, and that the driver, Larry Stuteville of Wewoka, was taken to a hospital with injuries. The semi-truck's driver was reportedly not at the scene when the crash occurred.
Other outlets covering the crash offered slightly different details about those involved. KRMG reported that Oklahoma Highway Patrol said two people were in the pickup, with the passenger killed and the driver taken to the hospital, while KTUL described the driver's condition as unknown at the time of its report and said troopers were searching for the semi's driver. Separately, KJRH reported that the driver was seriously hurt and said authorities had not yet released the identity of the person who died, a detail that conflicts with the identification reported elsewhere.
Ramp Closed for Hours During Investigation
The crash shut down the westbound I-44 ramp to Highway 169 shortly before 4 a.m., according to News on 6. KOKH reported that the exit ramps onto Highway 169 remained closed for several hours Thursday while investigators worked the scene. Accounts of exactly when the ramp reopened differ: News on 6 reported authorities reopened it around 8:30 a.m., while KJRH reported it reopened around 9:30 a.m.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol is investigating the crash, and the cause remains under investigation, KJRH reported. KTUL reported that troopers were looking for the semi's driver following the collision.
Part of a Troubling Pattern on I-44
The crash adds to a string of deadly wrecks involving semis on Oklahoma's I-44 corridor this year. In August, two Oklahoma men died after their vehicle struck a semi-truck on I-44 near Tulsa, according to 5NEWS. That same month, three people were killed when multiple vehicles, including two semis, crashed on I-44 in Oklahoma City, as reported by The Oklahoman. A separate crash involving a pickup towing a horse trailer and a parked semi also shut down eastbound I-44 near Kellyville for nearly six hours, per News on 6.
State data suggests why collisions like these keep happening. The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office says most motor vehicle fatalities in the state stem from driver behaviors such as impaired driving, speeding, distracted driving and failure to wear a seat belt. The agency also maintains an interactive crash dashboard and annual crash data tracking wrecks statewide. No cause has been confirmed in Thursday's crash, but the broader trend underscores the stakes on Oklahoma's busiest highways.
