Two Oklahoma high school XC runners killed by motorist, three others injured

Two cross-country runners from Moore, Oklahoma are dead and four are injured after being plowed into by a motorist yesterday during practice. All are students at Moore High School in Moore, south of Oklahoma City. At least one student remains in critical condition. The motorist, identified in various reports as Max Townsend, 57, left the scene but was apprehended several blocks away, and appeared impaired. In an unrelated incident, Townsend’s son Cody, 28, was apparently killed in a car accident on Sunday, not far from the scene of yesterday’s tragedy.

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Rachel Freeman, a senior who had recently received a college scholarship, died at the scene. Yuridia Martinez died later in hospital. Three other students still in hospital, are Kolby Crum, who is in critical condition, Joseph White, and Shiloh Hutchinson. and Ashton Baza. The New York Times has reported that Ashton Baza was treated for a broken leg and broken ankle and released today.

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Townsend has been charged with first-degree manslaughter and six counts of leaving the scene of an accident. He has a history of arrests for drug possession and impaired driving.

What is not known is whether Townsend purposely drove into the students or whether the incident was a bizarre and tragic accident resulting from grief over losing his son.