Aubrey McClendon. (Getty)
Former Chesapeake Energy and Oklahoma City Thunder co-owner Aubrey McClendon “swerved” and then “hit” a wall during his fatal car crash Wednesday in Oklahoma City, witnesses said in newly released 911 call audio.
The callers described the horrific scene, saying the cab of McClendon’s SUV was completely crushed and the vehicle was on fire.
McClendon, 56, crossed the center line of the road and slammed into a wall at high speed while driving his Chevrolet Tahoe Wednesday afternoon, Oklahoma City Police said. The crash happened a day after he was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges he conspired to rig bids for oil and natural gas leases.
You can listen to the 911 audio below or by clicking here if it does not appear:
The first caller told a dispatcher he saw the crash from about a quarter mile away.
“It looks pretty bad, I’m going to drive up on it now,” the caller said. “…It looks pretty rough. The accident looks pretty bad. … The car looks like it might be on fire. … They went under, there’s an underpass on Midwest Boulevard that goes under the turnpike and it looks they swerved and hit that.”
Chesapeake founder Aubrey McClendon dies in one car crash on Midwest Boulevard
The second caller told the 911 dispatcher, “There’s a very serious accident … There is a Tahoe that is completely impacted within. The cab is completely crushed.”
The dispatcher replies, “oh my goodness.” Becoming more urgent, the caller says, “the vehicle is on fire. … The fire is really escalating”
Police said McClendon was not wearing his seat belt and was traveling over 50 mph before the crash. A police spokesman said he had the opportunity to get back into his lane before hitting the wall, NewsOK.com reports. It could take up to two weeks for the investigation to be completed, police said. The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
A third caller told a dispatcher the SUV was “bursting into flames right now.”
At the end of the 7:55-long tapes, the police dispatcher calls the fire department to tell them the SUV “just exploded.”
Read more about McClendon and the crash at the link below:
