75-year-old woman dies in three-car crash in NW OKC; Signal 30 unit investigating

Oklahoma City police are investigating a three-car crash on Tuesday that killed a 75-year-old woman. The police department’s Signal 30 unit, which investigates fatal crashes, was called to the scene near Northwest 150th and Portland Avenue. The officers use technology, science, math, and experience to reconstruct the scene.

“Officers arrived and saw they had not only a two-car,” said Captain Benjamin Weir, Oklahoma City Police Department. “But a three-car accident.”

The view from Bob Mills' Sky News 9 showed a demolished red car and two trucks. One truck veered off into the opposite lane, and a second truck crashed into a nearby backyard fence.

“There’s quite a bit of dynamics that was in this accident,” said Weir.

Police released preliminary information on Wednesday about the crash. They said the driver of the car, later identified as 75-year-old Rita Stover, was stopped on Northwest 150th to turn into a neighborhood when one of the trucks slammed into the back of her car. The impact forced Stover to cross the center line, hitting the other truck head-on. Debris went flying everywhere, and officers thought a child was involved based on some of the evidence at the scene.

Related: Fatal crash shuts down NW 150th in Oklahoma City; emergency crews responding

“There’s some debris that went pretty far from the accident,” said Weir. “Like I said, the initial investigation led officers to believe there might be a child present.”

Police determined a child was not in the car, but Signal 30 investigators were called when officers learned Stover did not survive.

“They utilized a drone to do their investigation,” said Weir. “Take pictures and do an overall of the scene.”

Police said the drivers in the trucks were taken to local hospitals with minor injuries.

The fatality unit is still working on the final crash report and does not know at this time if weather, speed, or inattention contributed to the crash. Police said blood work from the drivers will determine if anyone will be charged.

The 11 investigators in the fatality unit are also called to officer-involved crashes and accidents involving severe injuries.