TULSA, Okla. — After a biker was killed on a Tulsa highway, his friends say they’re concerned about that specific stretch of road.
Mark Calcut Jr. died on New Year’s Eve on Highway 169's northbound exit heading onto I-244 westbound.
“It’s hard to negotiate through all the bumps and grooves and the debris that’s a lot of times laid out there from broken concrete,” said Ben Comeau, Calcut Jr.'s friend and an avid biker.
“Every day,” said Comeau. “As much as possible. All we’d do is ride, ride, ride.”
They had both been riding on New Year’s Eve before Calcut Jr. lost his life.
“We had been together all day,” Comeau said. “Riding side by side all day. He was going home to take care of the kids and then that.”
Comeau says Calcut Jr.’s death was heartbreaking and hard to process.
“He was well loved,” said Comeau. “He was a dear brother to everybody. It’s a great loss. It’s very hard.”
As a biker who has spent a lot of time on Tulsa highways, Comeau says the stretch of road where his friend died is dangerous and needs some repairs.
“It’s almost unavoidable,” he said. “It’s a vein. It’s an artery of that part of Tulsa that is highly traveled and should be highly safe.”
Tulsa police say Calcut Jr.’s motorcycle hit the back of a truck at the interchange and then the guardrail. He was thrown from bike onto I-244 below. Police say speed was a factor in this wreck.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation provided the following statement about the bridge's condition:
"The Oklahoma Department of Transportation was saddened to learn of the fatality crash on New Year’s Eve at the interchange of I-244 and US-169 in Tulsa. The ramp is scheduled for replacement this year due to a fracture critical element of the bridge’s structure. The new construction will bring the bridge to modern design standards. ODOT is unaware of any road conditions that contributed to the crash but will continue to monitor the bridge and make any needed repairs promptly. Any loss of life due to a crash is a tragedy, and ODOT is committed to constantly evaluating and improving the highway system for safety. Safety of the traveling public is ODOT’s top priority."
Comeau says the road needs to be resurfaced for a smoother drive, needs wider lanes for negotiating the curve, and higher guardrails.
“How many people have to wreck up there?” said Comeau. “How many people have to lose their life or go over the wall before something is done?”
He wants to make sure no one else loses a loved one on this road.
“Nobody deserves that loss. Nobody."
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