Troopers say the young woman from Ardmore fell onto northbound I-35 in Murray County late Saturday and was struck by multiple vehicles.
MURRAY COUNTY, Okla. — Lani Hicks of Ardmore died late Saturday after falling from the front passenger window of a moving car on northbound Interstate 35 in southern Oklahoma and being struck by multiple vehicles, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The death quickly turned a late-night drive into a widening investigation on one of Oklahoma’s main north-south corridors. Troopers have outlined the basic sequence of events, but several key points remain unsettled, including why Hicks was sitting in the passenger window, what happened inside the vehicle in the moments before she fell and whether any roadway or driving factors played a role. As of Tuesday, officials were still describing the case as preliminary.
Troopers said the crash happened just before 11:30 p.m. Saturday near mile marker 50 in Murray County. Investigators said 19-year-old driver Mylie Campbell of Ardmore was traveling north with Hicks and four other passengers when Hicks moved into the front passenger window with part of her body outside the vehicle. At some point, according to troopers, she fell into the roadway and was hit by several vehicles traveling along the interstate. Local television reports based on the highway patrol’s account said Campbell and the other passengers in the car were not reported injured. Officials have not publicly identified the drivers of the vehicles that later struck Hicks or released a fuller account of what those drivers told investigators.
The highway patrol has kept its public description of the crash tight and factual. Troopers said only that Hicks fell from the window and died after being struck on the roadway. In a report carried by Oklahoma City television station KOKH, authorities said the case was still in its early stages and that details could change as investigators review more evidence. That leaves important questions unresolved. Officials have not publicly described the vehicle’s speed, whether anyone in the car tried to stop Hicks from climbing into the window or whether any in-car video, nearby traffic cameras or witness statements have helped explain the moments before the fall. They also have not released a detailed timeline for when each emergency call came in or when the northbound lanes were fully cleared.
The location helps explain why the crash drew immediate attention beyond Murray County. State transportation records identify mile marker 50 on I-35 as Honey Creek Pass in the Arbuckle Mountains, about 4.5 miles north of the Carter County line. The stretch is a familiar route for travelers moving between southern Oklahoma, the Oklahoma City area and the Texas border, and transportation documents show officials have dealt with emergency repair work there in the past, including rock-slide and traffic-control issues. Those earlier records are not tied to Hicks’ death, and nothing released so far suggests the roadway itself caused the crash. But they do place the incident on a section of interstate that transportation officials know well by terrain and mile marker, not just by county name.
For investigators, the next steps are likely to focus on reconstructing the final moments inside the car and confirming the sequence of impacts after Hicks hit the pavement. Troopers have not publicly announced citations, charges or any other enforcement action. They also have not said whether investigators believe the crash will remain classified as an accident or whether additional findings could change that assessment. In practical terms, that means the public record is still thin. A fuller collision report could add witness statements, scene measurements and a more detailed description of how the vehicle was moving when Hicks left the window. Until then, the case remains defined more by what officials have not yet said than by what they have.
The human cost, though, has already come through in tributes from people who knew Hicks. A fundraiser created to help with funeral expenses described the crash as a sudden loss that left family and friends reeling. Organizer Reece Riggle wrote that Hicks “had a vibrant personality that brought joy to everyone around her” and said her passing had left loved ones “heartbroken.” Those comments, while outside the formal investigation, offered the first public picture of how the death was landing in Ardmore and among people close to her. They also underscored how quickly a brief moment on a highway can become a lasting loss for a family and a community.
Even with that response, the official story remains narrow. Troopers have identified Hicks, the driver and the location, and they have said the car was traveling north when she fell from the passenger window. Beyond that, much of the case is still open. There has been no public explanation of why she was outside the vehicle, no detailed account of what the other passengers saw and no indication that authorities are finished collecting evidence. In a fatal crash with multiple vehicles involved, even a simple timeline can take time to verify. Investigators must line up statements, roadway evidence and any available recordings before they can say with confidence whether the early description will hold.
By Tuesday, the facts that had been confirmed were these: Hicks had been riding in a car with friends late Saturday on I-35 in Murray County, she fell from the passenger window near mile marker 50 and she died after being struck by multiple vehicles. The next meaningful update is expected when troopers release a fuller report or make clear whether the preliminary findings will lead to any enforcement action.
Author note: Last updated April 7, 2026.