An Oklahoma Department of Corrections officer died in an on-duty crash Sunday that also left another officer injured, according to the agency.
Cpl. Robert Sumner, who worked at John Lilley Correctional Center in Boley, was driving a department van to a medical center in Edmond for a hospital shift just before 5:30 a.m. when he collided with another corrections officer a mile east of Meeker, the agency stated in a news release. The other officer—Cpl. Andrew Freppon—was driving his personal vehicle and was headed on his way to the Boley prison for his normal shift.
When medics responded to the crash, they found Sumner unresponsive, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Freppon was airlifted to an Oklahoma City hospital with leg and internal trunk injuries, and he is in stable condition following surgery.
Spokeswoman Kay Thompson says the accident was tragic luck on a poorly lit rural road.
"This was a pure coincidence, freak accident,” Kay Thompson, a department spokeswoman, told KGOU-TV. “We still don’t know the cause, whether there was an animal involved or whatever happened, we just don’t know.”
The crash is under investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
"Our agency is absolutely devastated by yesterday's events," Steven Harpe, the agency's executive director, said in a statement. "Having two dedicated employees from the same facility involved in such a tragic incident is extremely hard to comprehend."
Sumner and Freppon both graduated from the department's academy in November 2023. Sumner is survived by his expectant wife, a son, six siblings and his parents.
