By Conrad Dudderar
Senior Staff Writer
A Yukon man has been charged with negligent homicide for allegedly causing a crash that killed a pedestrian near Lake Overholser.
Oklahoma City police said Kyle Landon Dover, 41, was using his cellular phone when the traffic collision occurred and failed to “devote full time and attention to driving,” court records show.
Dover was formally charged with the crime March 6 in Canadian County District Court. Negligent homicide is misdemeanor crime punishable by a fine of $100-$1,000 and/or up to one year in prison.
The crash occurred Nov. 16, 2019 in the 3900 block of North Overholser Drive in west Oklahoma City.
Dover, who lives on Stonebridge Drive, allegedly was driving a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado pickup “possessing a reckless disregard of the safety of others,” according to court documents.
Prosecutors allege Dover struck Joseph Edward Warfield with his vehicle causing Warfield to “sustain catastrophic injuries” which led to the man’s death. Warfield, 65, lived in Oklahoma City and had been a project manager for Hobby Lobby.
Oklahoma City police investigated the auto-pedestrian traffic collision that occurred about 9:21 p.m. Nov. 16.
Dover was northbound on North Overholser Drive “traveling at or about” the speed limit with the collision occurred, according to a probable cause affidavit signed by Sgt. Mark Sexton.
“The defendant stated he looked down at his phone and heard a loud noise like he possibly hit something,” Sgt. Sexton wrote. “The defendant looked out the passenger side of his vehicle and noticed the mirror on the passenger door was damaged and he assumed he hit a sign since he did not see anything he would have hit.”
Dover reportedly kept driving until he reached the entrance to his neighborhood when he was flagged down by a witness who told him he had struck a person.
Dover returned to the scene and called 911.
The victim, Warfield, was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead from injuries sustained in the crash.
After the collision, police obtained Dover’s phone records from Verizon Wireless.
“It was determined the defendant was using his cellular phone at the time of the collision,” according to Sgt. Sexton’s affidavit.
Dover, represented by attorney David Ogle, appeared at an initial court arraignment March 9 before District Judge Jack McCurdy. Bond was set at $20,000.
