Friday, October 20th 2023, 3:39 pm
Two drivers were pronounced dead at the scene of a Norman collision October 17.
One of the victims killed in the tragic crash in Norman, was a specialist in the Oklahoma National Guard.
34-year-old Ahmed Elkhatib was sitting at a red light on Robinson near Flood, when an allegedly intoxicated driver slammed into his car at a high rate of speed.
Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Elkhatib joined the Oklahoma Army National Guard in 2019, serving as a scout with Troop C. He was not on duty at the time of his death.
Major General Thomas Mancino released a statement saying in part, "Our thoughts and prayers are with Ahmed's family, friends and our fellow Soldiers.”
Norman police say the two vehicles were traveling eastbound on Robinson Street. One vehicle stopped at a red light, and the other vehicle rear ended the first vehicle at a high rate of speed, police say. The crash caused the first vehicle to go across the intersection and into a pole, the second vehicle rolled and caught on fire, according to police.
The driver of the first vehicle has been identified as a 34-year-old male Ahmed Elkhatib, pronounced dead at the scene, police say.
The driver of the second vehicle was a 30-year-old male, pronounced dead at the scene, police say. Officers claim they found evidence that could suggest this driver was impaired at the time of the collision.
The wreck closed the intersection for multiple hours.
The full statement from the Norman Police Department can be read below:
The Norman Police Department (NPD) responded to a report of an injury collision at the intersection of Robinson Street and Flood Avenue at approximately 2:33 a.m. today.
The initial investigation indicates that the two involved vehicles were both traveling eastbound on Robinson Street. One vehicle was stopped at a red light when the other vehicle hit the vehicle from behind at a high rate of speed. The collision caused one vehicle to be pushed across the intersection into a traffic signal pole, and the other vehicle to roll once and catch on fire.
The driver of the vehicle stopped at the intersection has been identified as a 34-year-old male. He was pronounced deceased at the scene due to injuries sustained during the collision. He was the only occupant of the vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle that crashed into the other vehicle has been identified as a 30-year-old-male. He was pronounced deceased at the scene due to injuries sustained during the collision. He was the only occupant of the vehicle. Officers located evidence in his vehicle that impairment could have played a role in the collision.
The collision remains under investigation by the NPD/OUPD Collision Investigation and Reconstruction Team (CIRT).
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