Tulsa, Oklahoma: Christopher Hart Charged With Manslaughter After Roy Deaver Was Chased Into Traffic and Killed by a Box Truck

A Tulsa man faces a manslaughter charge after a police investigation into the death of a man who was chased into traffic and struck by a box truck last week. Christopher Hart, 47, is accused in connection with the death of Roy Deaver, 59, who was hit near 8th Street and Sheridan Road on Oct. 23, according to the Tulsa Police Department.

Officers responded to the intersection at about 3:32 p.m. on Oct. 23 after reports of an injury collision. They found Deaver lying in the roadway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

What investigators say happened

Witnesses told investigators they saw a man chasing Deaver and throwing objects at him shortly before Deaver ran into the street and was struck by the truck. Detectives determined that Deaver had been living in a vehicle on the property of Johnny's Auto Sales at the intersection, and that he had confronted Hart and two other people who had parked at the dealership after business hours.

Police say Hart began chasing Deaver away from the property. During the confrontation, Deaver ran into the roadway, where he was struck by the box truck. Hart returned to his vehicle and left the scene before officers arrived, according to police.

Arrest and charge

Homicide detectives located Hart the next day and questioned him about the collision. Hart told investigators he had gone to the dealership to sell the owner containers of stolen motor oil, and he acknowledged witnessing Deaver being struck by the truck, police said.

Hart was first arrested on outstanding warrants and booked into the Rogers County Jail. After the homicide investigation, Tulsa police announced that Hart will face a manslaughter charge in connection with Deaver's death. FOX23 and KTUL reported the charge this week.

Officers who first responded found Deaver in the roadway at the intersection, and the case was handed to homicide detectives after witnesses described the chase in the moments before the collision. The first police reports from the scene said traffic on South Sheridan Road was blocked while officers worked at the intersection.

The manslaughter charge rests on the chase, not on the driving of the truck. Neither affiliate report names the box truck driver, and the police accounts of the case focus on the confrontation at the car lot and on Hart leaving the scene afterward. FOX23 reported the charge from court records, and KTUL carried the same manslaughter charge in its Tulsa coverage this week.