Small World (Updated)

Remember this shot on the left here? That’s the underpass on Midwest Boulevard where Tuner Turnpike runs overhead. It reminded me of a gateway, a portal to the hilliest area I can ride without going back out east into allergen territory. It’s very narrow and exceedingly sturdy. I also noted that the two “ghost bike” memorials are not too far from there.

So the other day the ex-CEO of Chesapeake Energy was indicted here in OKC. Made big news. Today he died crashing his SUV into that same huge concrete portal. This image was taken from aerial fooltage shot by our local Chopper 9 (KWTV News).

Is the world crazy, or what? I suppose we’ll never know if this was in any way suicide or something else. I get the impression he hit that thing going awfully fast. If he threatened to take someone down with him, it would’t be that hard to knock him off the road there with some other heavy vehicle and just keep going. At this point it’s not likely there would be any evidence either way. I’m told his body was found in the back seat, supposedly because he didn’t wear his seat belt. Let the conspiracy theories fly.

Postscript: This image was shot the day after the crash. Our local news team from KOCO was out there shooting and perhaps recording a snippet for the broadcast. There were a half-dozen cars most of time parked along the northbound edge (behind me from this shot) the whole time I was poking around there. Some came and went, people sat in their cars or stood staring at the memorial.

There is just a small chip missing from the corner of the structure due to the impact. The charring runs all the way up onto the edge of overpass deck, and covers the interior facing of the concrete to the ceiling for several feet inside the shadowy interior. The fire crept up very near the top of the grassy embankment along the outside concrete face. I climbed up to see. A sprouting redbud tree overhanging the slope commiserated with me about the sadness of the scene. At one time I would have wished a tree could tell me the facts of what it witnessed, but those questions no longer haunt me. It was enough to know I was not alone up there.

Honestly, I can’t give a rational explanation why, but I knew I had to go. That was my ride for 03 March.