Woman killed by loose truck wheels in OKC
A set of dual wheels that broke off a tractor-trailer early Monday struck a pickup and killed the driver in west Oklahoma City, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol spokesman reported.
The wheels damaged at least two other vehicles and caused another one to overturn on Interstate 40 near S MacArthur Boulevard and S Meridian Avenue in west Oklahoma City.
About 4:50 a.m., the dual wheel set came off a tractor-trailer on I-40 between S MacArthur Boulevard and S Meridian Avenue, said patrol Capt. Ronnie Hampton.
A car apparently struck by the wheels was found west of S MacArthur in the eastbound I-40 lanes, Hampton said.
The driver of a sport utility vehicle that was eastbound on I-40 apparently swerved to avoid the wheels and overturned, Hampton said. Two people in the SUV were taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries, Hampton said.
The loose wheel set went off the I-40 bridge at S MacArthur and hit the top of a tractor-trailer that was northbound on S MacArthur. The wheel set was located by troopers nearby.
Just east of S Meridian on I-40, a pickup was found parked on the left shoulder of the eastbound lanes. A woman was driving the pickup east when she was struck by the wheels, Hampton said. She was dead at the scene.
“It appears it (pickup) was likely struck by a wheel somewhere in the driver’s side windshield area and then traveled to a controlled stop, probably several tenths of a mile on the inside shoulder before it came to a stop,” Hampton said.
Hampton said investigators were working Monday morning to locate the vehicle that lost the dual wheel set. Any witnesses or anyone who may have done a repair job on Monday related to the lost wheel set is asked to call the patrol at 405-425-2323.