Oklahoma man facing manslaughter, DUI charges after plowing truck into high school students

Max Townsend

Credit: Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office via The Associated Press

Credit: Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office via The Associated Press

Max Townsend

An Oklahoma man has been charged with 13 felony counts – including manslaughter and DUI – after a deadly collision killed two and injured four high school athletes, multiple media outlets reported.

Max Leroy Townsend, 57, is being held on $1 million bail after prosecutors charged him formally with two counts of first-degree manslaughter, two counts of leaving the scene of a fatal accident, four counts of driving under the influence and five counts of leaving the scene of an accident, NBC News reported.

According to KOCO, Townsend was taken into custody only blocks from Moore High School after he reportedly drove his truck into six cross-country runners Monday afternoon.

Rachel Freeman was pronounced dead at the scene, and Yuridia Martinez later died at an area hospital. Kolby Crum remains at OU Medical Center in critical condition, while Joseph White is listed in fair condition. Shiloh Hutchinson and Ashton Baza have been discharged from the hospital, the TV station reported.

Police said Townsend showed "signs of impairment" at the time of his arrest, noting his 29-year-old son had been killed in a separate crash the day prior, NBC News reported.

District Attorney Greg Mashburn told reporters during a Friday news conference investigators believe Townsend spent the day of the second crash mourning the loss of his son and drinking and there is no evidence indicating his deadly actions were intentional, KOCO reported.

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