ELLIS COUNTY, OK. (THECOUNT) — Leona Nunez, 70, of Shattuck, Oklahoma, has been identified as the victim of a fatal single-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon in Ellis County, Oklahoma.
According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, emergency crews were dispatched at approximately 3:40 p.m. to a crash along Highway 15 near North-South Road 186 in Ellis County.
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Investigators said Nunez was driving westbound on Highway 15 when the crash occurred.
Authorities reported that the vehicle was operating with a spare tire on the front right side when the tire experienced a blowout.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said the blowout caused the vehicle to leave the roadway to the right and travel through a ditch.
Officials said the vehicle ultimately came to rest after striking a tree.
Nunez sustained fatal injuries in the collision and was pronounced dead as a result of the crash.
Ellis County is located in northwestern Oklahoma along the state’s border with Texas and near the Oklahoma Panhandle. The county is characterized by open prairie, agricultural operations, and rural transportation routes connecting communities throughout the region.
Highway 15 serves as an important east-west roadway through portions of northwestern Oklahoma, providing access to rural communities, farms, ranches, and regional transportation corridors. The route is commonly traveled by local residents, agricultural traffic, and motorists moving between communities in the area.
The intersection area near Highway 15 and North-South Road 186 is situated within a rural section of Ellis County where highways and county roads traverse agricultural land and open terrain.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol responded to the scene and conducted the preliminary investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Authorities released details indicating that the vehicle was being operated on a spare front right tire at the time of the collision. Investigators reported that the tire failure preceded the vehicle leaving the roadway.
No other vehicles were reported to have been involved in the incident.
Single-vehicle crashes on rural highways are routinely investigated by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, which examines vehicle conditions, roadway evidence, and other factors as part of its review process.
Officials have not released additional information regarding the crash beyond the preliminary findings.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Crash location: Google Maps
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