Suspected Drunk Driver Previously Convicted For 2015 Fatal Collision

A man convicted of killing his friend in a crash in 2015, walked away from another violent crash Tuesday morning.

Gerald Harper’s pickup plowed into a home in Northeast Oklahoma City, and according to records Harper has a history of dangerous driving.

Records showed Harper has a number of traffic convictions that ranged from speeding to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

 “Really an untraditional way of entering into a garage. Just right through a wall,” Oklahoma City Police Msgt. Gary Knight said.

After he clipped a fence and RV with his pickup, police said Harper went sailing into someone else's garage overnight near Northeast 50th and Kelley.

The sleeping homeowner was awakened by commotion.

“The vehicle is rolling and completely out of control when it strikes the residence,” Knight said.  

Police arrived and found Harper stumbling around.

“He appeared to be impaired. he was under the influence, appears to be alcohol,” Knight said.

 In 2015, News 9’s cameras were on the scene when Oklahoma City Police found Harper in the wake of another crash.

 “We're told the vehicle was traveling on high avenue when it hit a concrete barrier and flipped into the river,” said a News 9 anchor in 2015.  

One of Harper's two passengers died.

Court filings later showed, at the time of the 2015 crash, Harper had been drinking too much to safely drive.

 Harper's driver's license had previously been suspended and stemmed from another traffic violation.

 After he served two years in years in jail and one in prison on convictions for driving without a license and first-degree manslaughter, Harper was released, and was on probation during Tuesday morning's collision,

 “We're fortunate no one was seriously injured,” said Knight.