Family Mourns Loss Of 15-Year-Old After Deadly Hit-And-Run On Highway 69

A family mourned the loss of a 15-year-old after he was killed in a hit-and-run on Sept. 22, 2024. They said losing a child at any age is a tragedy they hope nobody has to go through but want people to remember how special he was.

The family said navigating the grief of losing a child is not easy, but they wanted to share and remember the things that made him special.

They said Caiden Adkins was a passionate and determined kid. They said there were no limits to the things he loved, including creating film scenes and building upgraded versions of his favorite models from the Titanic.

Early Sunday morning, just before 5 a.m., Pryor Creek Police received multiple calls about debris, a bicycle and possibly a person on the side of Highway 69, just south of 470 road.

“It's a tragic incident and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, and we just want justice for them and to bring some closure on this incident as far as what exactly happened,” said Pryor Creek Police Chief, Jeremy Cantrell. 

Chief Cantrell said investigators don't know why Caiden was riding near the highway at that time, but he says they have identified a semi that could possibly be responsible for the crash.

“From several surveillance videos that we've used, from the animal shelter from the Sinclair in town, from Cowboy Riggs, which is a trailer place and store in town, we're able to pull the camera footage and see the victim prior to the incident,” Chief Cantrell said. 

Chief Cantrell said skid marks on the highway led them to believe the driver knew the truck hit something, but the driver did not stop.

He said the company that owns the semi involved in the crash is cooperating with police in the case.

“We're working with that company to figure out who the driver might be, where exactly it was at that point in time, so we do have a good lead on that,” said Chief Cantrell. 

Chief Cantrell said they are working with the company to find out who the driver is and hope to have a sure suspect soon. 

Rather than flowers, Caiden Adkins's family is asking for donations toward his funeral costs. A GoFundMe has been created for the family here. 

Related:

1. Teen Killed In Hit-And-Run Incident On Highway 69 Identified
2. Juvenile Cyclist Killed In Hit-And-run Crash Along Highway 69