Fatal collision on I-35 claims life of Shawnee man

A fatal crash occurred on Interstate 35 northbound near mile marker 156 near Guthrie shortly after 9 a.m. on Sunday.

The accident resulted in the death of 70-year-old David Irving Smith of Shawnee, OK.

According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Smith was driving a 2022 Freightliner Cascadia when his vehicle left the roadway for reasons still under investigation and struck an unoccupied 2002 International MA025 parked on the outside shoulder.

Smith was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS medical professionals and was later transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Oklahoma City.

Authorities report that Smith was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, and the vehicle’s airbags deployed upon impact.

The cause of the collision is currently attributed to a failure to maintain the lane, but the specific circumstances are being investigated.

The northbound lanes were closed for nearly three hours with one lane reopening at 11:40 a.m. Traffic was rerouted through Guthrie causing minor traffic delays.