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Two people were killed and a suspect arrested after a high-speed collision and subsequent hit-and-run in southwest Oklahoma City Thursday evening, police said. The crash — and the driver’s decision to leave the scene — has prompted an ongoing criminal investigation that families and neighbors are watching closely.
What police say happened
Officers responded about 6 p.m. on July 9 to the intersection of SW 44th Street and Robinson Avenue, where a motorcycle had struck a pickup truck. Both the motorcycle rider and a passenger were rushed to hospital and later pronounced dead.
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According to a probable cause affidavit, the driver of a white 2006 Chevrolet Silverado had paused in the eastbound turn lane waiting to make a northbound turn onto Robinson. The affidavit says the light was blinking yellow and the driver yielded to oncoming traffic before proceeding.
As the pickup entered the intersection, the affidavit reports, a motorcycle traveling at high speed hit the rear passenger side of the truck bed. The truck initially stopped roughly 100 feet beyond the intersection, the affidavit states, but the driver then left the scene and returned home.
Victims and arrest
Police later identified the deceased as Eric Kennedy, 46, and Laura Estrada, 41. Authorities arrested a 53-year-old man on a charge of leaving the scene of an accident involving a fatality; formal charges and additional details were not immediately released.
- Time: About 6 p.m., July 9
- Location: Intersection of SW 44th Street and Robinson Avenue, southwest Oklahoma City
- Vehicles involved: White 2006 Chevrolet Silverado and a motorcycle
- Outcome: Two fatalities; driver of the truck arrested for leaving the scene
Investigators are relying on witness accounts and the affidavit to reconstruct the sequence of events. Police have not publicly detailed whether speed, impairment or other factors beyond the alleged high speed of the motorcycle contributed to the crash.
Traffic at the intersection was briefly affected while officers processed the scene. Neighbors said they were shaken by the incident and by the loss of life on a busy city roadway.
Police continue to gather evidence and interview witnesses. Anyone with information about the crash or the events leading up to it is asked to contact Oklahoma City police.
