'I Don't Like Crossing It': Tulsans Voice Concerns About 71st, Yale Intersection After Fatal Crash

Tulsa Police say they are still trying to identify the person who was hit and killed during a crash near 71st and Yale earlier this week.

Investigators say a driver ran a red light and was hit by a car that had the right of way, causing the driver who ran the light to hit two people standing on a median. People walking across the intersection know how dangerous the area is.

“This section is loud; it’s big,” said Byron Smith, a man who uses the crosswalk at the intersection. “I don’t like crossing it, but it’s what I do for lunch.”

Smith works in a nearby office and heard the crash all the way from the 9th floor of the building.

“We heard a massive collision outside,” he said. “Honestly, at first, I thought something happened in the building because it sounded like it was really close to us.”

Police say Nicholas Stewart ran the red light. They say he faces a negligent homicide charge. Officers say they are still gathering evidence, most recently getting a video of the crash from another driver.

“It didn’t quite give us perspective of the actual accident, but it did fill in some details and some investigative tools to help us further this investigation,” said Lt. Justin Farley, Tulsa Police.

Farley said officers work several crashes at the intersection but added that this area is no worse than other busy intersections. He said it comes down to drivers following the laws.

“We always encourage people to put down your devices, make sure you’re paying attention to the road,” said Farley. “Give a little extra caution, not being in so much of a hurry.”

Police say the other pedestrian who was hit is still in the hospital with serious injuries.