Police Identify Woman Killed After NE OKC Pursuit Suspect Crashed Into Her Car

Oklahoma City police are investigating a high-speed pursuit on metro streets that turned deadly. Police said Wacey Mikles, 38, stole a truck and during a pursuit with police he slammed into a woman’s car Monday morning, killing her.

The pursuit came to a crashing end near Northeast 16th Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Just after 7:30 a.m. a black truck was reported stolen from a construction site in southeast Oklahoma City, according to police. Officers spotted the truck 30 minutes later.

“Our officer located the vehicle around 30th and Lindsey and attempted to stop the vehicle. When they did, the driver initiated a pursuit,” said Capt. Dan Stewart, Oklahoma City Police Department.

Mikles led officers on a high-speed pursuit that wound through the north and southeast sides of the city. Police said the chase only lasted six minutes before the driver made a fatal move.

A woman in a white car going about her morning routine got caught in the middle of the pursuit.

“The other driver was not involved,” Stewart said. “They were just minding their own business and the driver of the pursuit crashed into them.”

Police said 28-year-old Star Shells was removed from her mangled car and died at the hospital. Hours later Shells family showed up to the scene where they confirmed the tragic news.

The pursuit suspect was also injured in the crash.

“We know the driver of the pickup truck or the stolen truck was transported to a local hospital where he has non-critical injuries,” said Stewart.

Police officials said the pursuit and crash were preventable.

“If you talk to our auto theft detectives, they will tell you they work a lot of cases where people leave their keys in the vehicle and they think they’re going to run in and out,” Stewart said. “And these types of things they happen.”

Mikles faces complaints of second-degree murder, felony eluding, causing a crash without a valid driver’s license and possession of meth.