OKLAHOMA CITY, authorities are investigating a fatal multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 35 that claimed the lives of an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper, a woman, and her young child on Wednesday morning.
According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP), the crash occurred shortly before 11:30 a.m. on I-35 between Britton Road and Hefner Road.
Investigators say the incident began when debris or equipment, believed to have fallen from a commercial vehicle, ended up on the roadway, creating a dangerous situation for approaching traffic.
Officials stated that 36-year-old Mercedes Bayne, a resident of Oklahoma City, was traveling southbound when she either tried to avoid the debris or reacted to slowing vehicles ahead.
During this attempt, her vehicle crossed the center cable barrier and entered the northbound lanes, where it collided head-on with a patrol unit driven by Trooper Vernon Brake. The crash proved fatal.
Trooper Brake, Bayne, and her 4-year-old daughter Ariana were all pronounced dead at the scene.
Trooper Brake had served with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for nearly 20 years, having graduated from the agency’s 56th Academy in 2006. Much of his career was focused on commercial motor vehicle enforcement.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
Bayne is being remembered by family and friends as a devoted mother and a woman of strong faith. She graduated from Putnam City West High School and had recently completed an esthetician program at Paul Mitchell The School in Norman, an achievement her family says she valued as she worked to create a better future for her children.
Authorities initially asked for the public’s help in identifying a commercial vehicle that may have been involved, either as the source of the debris or a vehicle that stopped nearby.
By Wednesday evening, officials confirmed that the truck in question had been identified.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s Traffic Homicide Unit is leading the investigation, and the crash is being treated as a crime scene as officials continue to review all contributing factors.
Law enforcement agencies across the state have expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
In a statement, the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office offered support to Trooper Brake’s colleagues and loved ones, recognizing his service and dedication.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine the full sequence of events leading up to the crash.
