Slick Roads Blamed For Two Deaths Across Oklahoma

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Slick roads are being blamed for numerous wrecks and crashes across Tulsa and Oklahoma late Sunday night and early Monday morning.

Tulsa Police say the driver of an SUV, eastbound on 71st Street between Yale and Sheridan, lost control on a patch of ice in the roadway.

"The driver said she then covered her eyes, put her arms above her head and said 'oh no' then went across the center median and hit a black car head on," said Doug Chism, Tulsa Police. 

The driver of the black car was taken to the hospital.

"Don't cover your eyes when you hit the ice. Steer," Chism said.

Another crash late Sunday night at about 11:30 p.m. on U.S. Highway 75 near Apache sent a pickup truck into the guardrail.

Tulsa Police say the driver of a pickup truck was heading north on the highway when he says he hit a bump in the highway. The slick roadway made it hard to regain control and the pickup truck ended up spinning and sliding into a guardrail.

The driver and passenger did not suffer any injuries.

With single digits forecasted, the city says they are prepped to handle what mother nature throws out.

"As it gets colder and if it does not dry up, turns into ice. We'll be putting more material down," said Tim McCorkell, Public Works Street Maintenance Manager for City of Tulsa. "We're looking for it to dry out before it really freezes over on all the arterior roads."

Icy conditions may have contributed to wreck involving an ambulance in Watonga. The vehicle overturned early Monday morning. It's unclear if there were any injuries.

So far, the first round of bitter weather is blamed for two deaths.

On Sunday, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol says 66-year old Joyce Leutz was heading west on 181st Street outside Glenpool when she lost control.

1/9/2011 Related Story: Sapulpa Woman Killed When Car Plunges Into Pond

Troopers say the Sapulpa woman drove through a fence and into a pond. Friends say she was out in the inclement weather to visit a friend whose husband had just died.

Billy Trammell, 68, was killed Monday morning on I-40 in Okmulgee County. He lost control of his truck on an icy bridge and hit a tree.

1/10/2011 Related Story: Crash On Icy Interstate 40 Kills Muskogee Man

If you see an accident or stalled car on the side of the road, keep an eye out for bright blue tape.

EMSA paramedics marks cars to confirm that the vehicle has been checked and no one is inside. The idea is to help prevent multiple calls for one car.