A husband and wife from Oklahoma City are dead after a two-vehicle crash on westbound Interstate 40 near Hydro left four other people injured this past Saturday afternoon. Oklahoma Highway Patrol says the collision happened around 3:32 p.m. near mile marker 91, roughly 5.5 miles east of Hydro, in Caddo County.
The crash claimed the life of 75-year-old Gregory Giles, a passenger, and 73-year-old Jean Giles, the driver of the vehicle, both of Oklahoma City, according to KECO 96.5FM. Jean Giles was injured in the wreck and later died as a result of her injuries. The other vehicle involved was driven by 21-year-old Eric Miller of Burns Flat, who was injured along with two passengers riding with him. In total, four people were hurt in the two-vehicle crash, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol has identified Miller and Giles as the drivers involved.
Investigators say both occupants of the Giles vehicle were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, per the highway patrol’s account relayed by the station. The collision report indicated that occupants in Miller’s vehicle were not using seat belts, according to the same account. The cause of the collision remains under investigation by Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and next of kin for the victims have been notified.
A Familiar and Deadly Stretch of I-40
The wreck shut down westbound I-40 for approximately four and a half hours while crews worked the scene, a closure window consistent with how severe multi-vehicle wrecks are typically handled on this stretch of rural interstate, where reconstruction and limited detour options routinely stretch shutdowns to four or five hours. The interstate through Caddo County carries a 75 mph speed limit, part of a 50-mile rural segment where the Oklahoma Department of Transportation raised limits from 70 mph in 2020 to improve freight and travel efficiency across western Oklahoma…