Oklahoma City police are investigating a three-car collision on Tuesday that killed a 75-year-old woman. The police department’s Signal 30 team, which investigates fatal crashes, was dispatched to the area near Northwest 150th and Portland Avenue. The cops employ technology, science, math, and experience to recreate the scene.
“Officers arrived and saw they had not only a two-car,” said Captain Benjamin Weir, Oklahoma City Police Department. “But a three-car accident.”
The image from Bob Mills’ Sky News 9 shows a wrecked red automobile and two trucks. One truck drove into the opposite lane, while another crashed into a nearby backyard fence.
“There’s quite a bit of dynamics that was in this accident,” said Weir.
On Wednesday, police revealed early details on the crash. They said the car’s driver, 75-year-old Rita Stover, was parked on Northwest 150th about to turn into a neighborhood when one of the trucks plowed into the rear of her vehicle. The impact led Stover to cross the middle line, colliding with the second vehicle head on. Debris flew everywhere, and officers suspected a child was involved based on some of the evidence found on the site.
“There’s some debris that went pretty far from the accident,” Weir informed the audience. “Like I said, the initial investigation led officers to believe there might be a child present.”
Police found that there was no child in the car, but when cops discovered that Stover had died, they summoned Signal 30 detectives.
“They utilized a drone to do their investigation,” Weir told me. “Take pictures and do an overall of the scene.”
Police said the truck drivers were sent to local hospitals with minor injuries.
The mortality section is still working on the final collision report, and it is unclear whether weather, speed, or inattention contributed to the crash. According to police, the drivers’ blood test will determine whether or not anyone will be charged.
The 11 investigators in the fatality unit are also dispatched to officer-involved crashes and accidents involving serious injuries.
