A March 4 evening roll-over collision near Roland reportedly claimed the life of a Durant man after he was ejected from his vehicle and then ran over by an unknown motorist.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Joa’n Alverez reported the accident occurred just after 8:30 p.m. in the eastbound lane of Interstate-40 at the 330 mile marker, about five miles east of Roland.
James West, 58, of Durant, was driving a 2007 Ford Escape eastbound on the inside lane of I-40 when he departed the roadway to the left and struck a cable barrier. West’s vehicle then came to a rest in the westbound lanes before he was ejected and then ran over by an unknown motorist. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by the state medical examiner.
According to the accident report, Arkansas State Police diverted traffic onto US 64D after I-40 westbound was shut down at the Arkansas/ Oklahoma border. The highway was reportedly shut down for a total of two hours and 47 minutes.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation as of press time.
Assisting Alverez in the investigation were Lt. Kane Wyatt of Troop C, Trooper David Frazier of the Muskogee County detachment of Troop C, Trooper Steven Crooks of the Sequoyah County detachment of Troop C, Trooper Timothy Parrish of the Traffic Homicide unit of Troop Z, the Sequoyah County Sheriff ’s Office, Roland Police Department and Pafford EMS.
