A collision on the Muskogee Turnpike claimed two lives and left one person fighting for survival in the early hours of Monday.
The crash, which occurred near mile marker 17 just west of Porter around 4:30 AM in the westboud lanes. Baylor Butler, 31, of Muskogee, and Stevie Ray Carter, 26, of Gore, both were pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.
The driver, a 22-year-old man from Muskogee whose identity has not been released, was rushed to a Tulsa hospital in critical condition. The driver of the F-450, a man from Kansas, escaped unharmed.
The westbound lanes of the turnpike were shut down for over four hours, reopening around 8:30 AM alongside the briefly affected eastbound lanes. Traffic was snarled as authorities worked to clear the wreckage and investigate the cause.
