Death Of 8-Year-Old Adds To Mounting Tulsa Traffic Fatalities

Sad new details in a wreck that happened a few days ago at 4th and Yale in Tulsa. An 8-year-old girl has died from injuries from that accident. Investigators say another driver ran through a red light hitting the car she was riding in, along with her mother and several other children.

Police tell me this is just one of a surprising number of fatal wrecks in Tulsa recently.

On October 10th, investigators say the driver of a pickup whipped around a car stopped at a red light on Yale, and T-boned a car crossing 4th street. A woman and four children were in the car. Over the weekend, an 8-year-old girl was taken off life support and died.

10/11/2013 Related Story: Police: Child In Critical Condition After Crash In Tulsa

Sergeant Chris Witt says it's just one of a surprising number of fatal accidents the team from the Gilcrease traffic investigation unit have investigated in the past month and a half.

"We believe there was either drugs or alcohol or both related in that particular case, and it's still under investigation," Witt said.

"We've had almost the same number of fatalities in the last month as we did for the entire year, month and a half as we did for the entire year last year."

Last year, the team investigated nine fatal crashes. So far this year: 13 and eight of those just since September first.

"On Highway 412, a single vehicle for some reason went off the roadway and hit a barrier and the driver in that car was killed," said Sergeant Chris Witt, Tulsa Police Department.

On September 11th, a mom driving along Highway 75 hit a parked utility vehicle on the shoulder of the highway.

9/12/2013 Related Story: Police Say Toddler Injured In Tulsa Car Crash Has Died

"As a result of that, her 4 year old was killed," Witt said.

Police are also investigating a body found this past week on railroad tracks near North Memorial.

"We're just not sure why he was laying there," Witt said.

At the end of September, a man who officers tried to pull over for not wearing a seat belt took off and ended up crashing near Pine and Yale.

He later died.

Sergeant Witt says the fatal wrecks can't be attributed to a single cause, but there are general safety measures drivers need to keep in mind.

"Wear your seat belt, slow down. Look out for motorcycles," said Sergeant Chris Witt, Tulsa Police Department.

Tulsa's Gilcrease Traffic Division says their top three trouble spots for accidents are at 7th and Elgin, Pine and Peoria, and at Admiral and Sheridan.