Man Accused Of Manslaughter In Fatal Thanksgiving Drunk Driving Crash

A Tulsa man has been charged with first-degree manslaughter after prosecutors say he ran a red light while driving drunk on Thanksgiving morning, causing a crash that killed a passenger in another car.

Ethan Maier is accused of driving home intoxicated when he ran a red light at South Elm and Washington Street in Broken Arrow. Court documents state his vehicle collided with a car carrying a family of four.

Michael Hill, the front seat passenger in the car Maier struck, suffered severe injuries, including a brain bleed, and died a week later. The driver, Mariza Hill, and two children in the car sustained minor injuries.

According to police, Meyer was caught on video leaving a bar while visibly intoxicated before stopping at a gas station to buy more beer shortly before the crash. Officers who responded to the scene noted Maier slurred his speech, smelled of alcohol, and later tested positive for alcohol at the hospital.

Meyer faces charges of first-degree manslaughter, causing a deadly crash without a valid license, and driving under the influence.