Tulsa doctor hit by truck: Driver pleads guilty nearly 2 years after crash

Almost 2 years after a near-deadly hit-and-run involving a Tulsa doctor, a man pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court to leaving the scene of an injury crash. 

2023 Hit and Run

Dr. William Clark was training for an Ironman race in September of 2023 when he was hit by a semitruck. The driver left the scene. Clark lay in a ditch for 15 minutes before 2 ODOT mowers found him. He suffered a broken leg, a fractured spine and ribs, a concussion and more. 

“He didn’t know if William was alive or dead; he had no idea, and to leave him there, I can't even fathom how someone would ever try to do something like that,” said Clark's wife, Margot.

The Driver Behind the Wheel

On July 7th, 45-year-old Lee Phillips pleaded guilty to hitting Clark, not stopping to check on him, and leaving the scene of the accident. The guilty plea waives his right to a jury.

Court records say that on the advice of Phillips' attorney, it would be in his best interest, considering all the facts.

“It’s kind of like reading a book and getting to that final chapter and kind of hard to believe that you’re there,” said Clark's sister, Andrea Whittington. 

A Family's Disappointment

Though they feel some sense of justice, Clark's family says they’re upset about the sentence Phillips could get. Because Phillips is a member of a tribe and the crash happened on tribal land, the maximum sentence he can get will be 2 years. Because Phillips falls under federal jurisdiction, that means limitations can lead to lighter sentences than state courts would typically impose. 

“I don’t feel that it’s enough,” said Margot. “I don’t think you can convey to this man what he's done and what we could have lost,” said Andrea. 

The family's attorney says Phillips’ sentencing will be in a few months. We reached out to Phillips' attorney for comment but did not hear back.