11 year old Tulsa boy killed in pedestrian accident on Keystone Expressway

A local 6th-grade boy is dead Friday after he tried to run across a busy expressway and was hit by a pickup truck. <br><br>News on Six reporter Steve Berg has been following the story and says Tulsa Police

Friday, November 22nd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

A local 6th-grade boy is dead Friday after he tried to run across a busy expressway and was hit by a pickup truck.

News on Six reporter Steve Berg has been following the story and says Tulsa Police have identified the victim as 11-year-old Gaylen Masterson. But it's still not clear why he was trying to cross the highway.

The accident happened about 7:30 Friday morning on the Keystone Expressway near 33rd West Avenue. Witnesses told police that Masterson and "another" boy were on the south side of the road. They say Masterson ran across the highway but the other boy stayed behind. He made it across two of the three lanes when the truck hit him.

Police say he was apparently on his way to Madison Middle School, but they say both his house "and" the school are south of the highway. So they say there's no apparent reason why he would have needed to cross the road. Tulsa Police Cpl Robert Rohloff, "You're dealing with a child and you've got chaplains out doing some death notifications, y'know this kid was on his way to school, this really shouldn't have happened."

Madison Middle School assistant principal, Dona Land, "a very nice young man and a very good student and our thoughts are with the family." The school says it will have counselors on hand all day to help students and teachers.

The victim's friend had initially fled the scene, but police say they have found him and interviewed him.