OHP trooper involved in three-vehicle crash, one arrested after running from scene

TULSA, Okla. — An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper was involved in a three-vehicle crash and one person was arrested after running from the scene on Thursday morning near 49th West Avenue and I-44.

OHP said an SUV was driving on the off-ramp of I-44 at a high speed and hit a vehicle after running a stop sign.

OHP said the vehicle spun and jumped a curb and was hit by an OHP trooper driving in the opposite direction on 49th West Avenue.

The SUV smashed into a Ford Fusion and flipped onto the top of the trooper’s car.

Lt. Paige Dowell said the trooper didn’t waste any time after getting hit.

“He was just driving and got on the radio and said ‘I got hit, they are running’,” Dowell said.

The hood of the trooper’s car was smashed, but the trooper only sustained minor injuries.

OHP said there were no major injuries during the incident, but the passenger in the other car was a little banged up.

“He had some minor injuries to an arm,” Dowell said.

OHP said there were six people in the SUV in total.

The driver, later identified as 18-year-old Tito Augusto, and passengers in the SUV ran from the scene.

OHP said Augusto and a passenger were taken into custody, but the passenger was released.

Augusto was treated for minor injuries, arrested, and booked into Tulsa County jail for leaving the scene of an injury accident, driving without a valid driver’s license and failing to stop at a stop sign. Augusto also had a warrant out of Maine for trafficking scheduled drugs and possession of drugs.

“We are still looking into everything right now,” Dowell said.

OHP is still looking at the four other passengers in the SUV to ensure they are OK and to find out why they ran.

The estimated damage to the SUV is $20,000, the estimated damage to the other vehicle involved was $10,000 and the estimated damage to the trooper’s car is $20,000.