POSSIBLE 'road rage' accident under investigation

A dangerous accident that has one Tulsa man fighting for his life. Witnesses say it may have been road rage, as the cars involved topped 80 miles per hour on a street many Tulsan's drive every day.

Monday, June 4th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

A dangerous accident that has one Tulsa man fighting for his life. Witnesses say it may have been road rage, as the cars involved topped 80 miles per hour on a street many Tulsan's drive every day. It happened Monday morning on Riverside Drive at the 21st Street Bridge.

KOTV's Sean Mossman says one man remains in serious, but stable, condition at a Tulsa hospital. The man who police say was chasing him says he was just trying to get the other mans license plate. Two things, commuters and joggers dominate morning on Riverside Drive. Luckily, Tulsa Police say traffic of both had subsided by the time a serious injury accident occurred around 10 AM. Police say a white Toyota Celica and a red Grand Prix were chasing each other as fast as eighty miles per hour. Officers say a van pulled onto Riverside forcing the Grand Prix to swerve around it and overcorrect. The car hopped the curve and hit the 21st street bridge. Tulsa Police officer Lucky Lamons says, "When he hit that, it ejected him another 120 feet down to where those trees are and that's where he came to rest." The unnamed 20-year old driver was transported to a local hospital. After an afternoon of surgery, he is listed in serious, but stable, condition.

Tulsa Police for now are careful not to call this a road rage incident. They say the young man was not forced off the road at the time of the accident, and that the other was well behind him when it happened. The driver of that Celica, Lawrence Tankersly, says he was hit from behind near the pedestrian bridge at 31st street. He says the Grand Prix sped away. Police say witnesses then saw the two cars speed after each other up Riverside, bumping several times along the way. Lamons says, "He said what he was trying to do is catch up to the Grand Prix to find out what the guy looked like. Get his tag number so he could find out information so that he could get his car fixed." Police will turn their findings over to the district attorney's office. Either one of the two men could face charges ranging from a simple traffic ticket to assault with a deadly weapon, stemming from the incident.

Police say there are several better ways to handle a potentially violent driver than chasing after them. They say to stop and call police with a license number, but don't chase after the car to get that number. And, certainly, don't bump the other car to get it to stop. Finally, avoid eye contact with any driver making obscene gestures.