A 78-year-old Tulsa woman has died after a head-on crash on a rural curve in Hughes County, and a passenger riding with her was also injured. Oklahoma Highway Patrol identified the woman as Linda Coker, saying she died from injuries suffered when another driver crossed into her lane.
According to News On 6, the crash happened around 9:40 a.m. near East 1250 Road and North 391 Road. Investigators said 43-year-old Kyle Robison was traveling northbound on North 391 Road when his vehicle crossed into the southbound lane while navigating a right-hand curve, striking Coker's vehicle head-on. okcfox.com reported that emergency crews were called to the scene around the same time Friday morning.
Troopers said Coker died as a result of her injuries, while a passenger riding in her vehicle was also hurt in the collision. Robison was not injured, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Troopers are continuing to investigate the crash.
A Dangerous Stretch of Rural Road
The intersection where the crash occurred sits in a stretch of Hughes County known for narrow, curving rural roads. The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office maintains statewide crash data and an annual Crash Facts book meant to help identify where and why collisions happen, though the agency's materials do not establish a current crash trend specific to Hughes County.
Older county-level figures compiled in a state document show Hughes County recorded six traffic fatalities in 2005, seven in 2006, none in 2007, three in 2008, seven in 2009 and four in 2010, according to a report hosted by digitalprairie.ok.gov. Those numbers predate the current crash by more than a decade and do not reflect recent conditions on county roads.
Other Fatal Head-On Crashes in the Region
Hughes County has seen deadly head-on crashes before. In August 2020, Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported that two people were killed in a head-on crash in the county, as previously reported by News On 6 in a separate report. That earlier wreck is not connected to Friday's crash involving Coker.
Head-on collisions have also proven fatal elsewhere in the state. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said three people died in a head-on collision in Rogers County that happened after 9:30, according to KFOR. No connection between that crash and the one that killed Coker has been established.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers continue to investigate the circumstances of Friday's crash in Hughes County. No further details on potential citations or findings have been released.
