Shoes Left At Deadly SE OKC Hit-And-Run Scene Help Identify Suspect

An Oklahoma City man was arrested on Wednesday, accused of causing a deadly hit-and-run crash five months ago.

Police said 21-year-old Eugene Phillips crashed following a pursuit with Oklahoma City officers and then hit a man on a sidewalk, killing the man.

An arrest warrant revealed Phillips left behind evidence that eventually led investigators to his identity. Phillips was interviewed by investigators after he was taken into custody and then booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center on a first-degree murder charge.

The investigation started in August 2023. “In the early morning hours of August 2nd, a police officer tried to make a traffic stop on a car in southeast Oklahoma City,” said Msgt. Gary Knight, Oklahoma City Police Department.

Police said instead the suspect sped away and initiated a pursuit that reached speeds over 80 miles per hour on city streets. “Speeds reached a dangerous level, and the officer terminated the pursuit,” said Knight.

Police said Phillips continued speeding and went airborne around southeast 29th Street and Shields Boulevard. Court papers indicated Phillips lost control of the car, spun, and crossed to the opposite side of the street. The car traveled onto a sidewalk hitting a man who was walking in the area. Police said the impact killed the victim and Phillips' car slammed into a retaining wall. “It seems he was the only person in the car at the time,” said Knight. “It’s unclear why he was fleeing.”

Officers found one of the driver’s shoes in the car and the other shoes were on the ground next to the car. Police searched the area with Air One and canines but never found the suspect. Police learned the registered owner of the car lived in southwest Oklahoma City, but no one was home when police went to the address.

Investigators submitted the shoes for DNA analysis and months later it came back as a match Phillips. “It’s a tragedy when it happens but they work very hard to identify the person responsible and ultimately hold them accountable,” said Knight.

Phillips also faces a charge for leaving the scene of a fatality accident. His bond was set at $500,000.