Official: 2nd student dies after truck hits Oklahoma runners
A second suburban Oklahoma City high school student has died after a group of cross-country runners was struck by a pickup truck, a school official said Tuesday.
Dustin Horstkoetter, director of safety at Moore Public Schools, said Yuridia Martinez, who had been hospitalized in critical condition since the Monday crash, has since died. Officials had previously said that senior Rachel Freeman was killed when the driver of the truck slammed into members of the school's cross-country team.
Moore police Sgt. Jeremy Lewis said authorities believe the students were running on the sidewalk when they were struck. Authorities had previously said they were running along a street outside Moore High School.
Student Kolby Crum remained in critical condition at Oklahoma Children's Hospital, according to spokeswoman April Sandefer. Students Joseph White and Shiloh Hutchison were in fair condition, Sandefer said, and student Ashton Baza was released Monday night.
The ages of the students have not been released.
Police arrested Max Leroy Townsend, 57, who was booked into the Cleveland County jail on charges of first-degree manslaughter and six counts of failure to stop and render aid. Townsend was initially reported to be 56.
Police suspect alcohol was a factor, according to Lewis, who said results from toxicology tests are pending.
“That won't be for quite a while, that's a blood test that requires being sent to a lab,” Lewis said.
Lewis said Townsend's son, Cody Townsend, was killed Sunday in a multi-vehicle crash in Moore.