TULSA, Okla.–Residents in Oklahoma’s second-largest city want city leaders to invest more in pedestrian safety after a motorist hit and killed an elderly man in an electric wheelchair.
Responding to a fatal crash on 3500 N. MLK Jr. Blvd around 7:35 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11, traffic officers from Tulsa Police Department found 74-year-old Charles Marshall deceased.
“Traffic Officers determined Marshall was headed southbound in the northbound outside lane in an electric wheelchair when he was hit by a black Chevy Tahoe traveling northbound. Marshall died on impact,” TPD stated.
The driver of the vehicle stayed on scene and cooperated with officers, and the cause of the collision remains under investigation. Meanwhile, for many in the city, the fatal north Tulsa accident points to a systemic problem.
Most of the comments under TPD’s Facebook post pointed to the lack of sidewalks, street lights and overall lack of pedestrian infrastructure in north Tulsa. However, some users accused Marshall of causing his own death, causing a well-known counselor, community advocate and electric wheelchair user to respond.
“I don’t have the capacity to respond to every ignorant/naive post concerning why someone who uses a mobility device was using said mobility device in the only method and manner that was available to him,” Nnaka commented.
Nnaka, a Tulsa United Way ambassador, urged residents not to jump to conclusions. While the police report indicated Marshall was going southbound in a northbound lane, it didn’t include the fact that it may have been the only way for Marshall to enter his home on a street without sidewalks.
“I use a wheelchair and have been in this man’s position many times due to lack of sidewalks or bike lanes. Lighting could have made a difference too,” Nnaka said.
Lack of infrastructure for pedestrians in North Tulsa
Notably, Oklahoma remains among the top 20 deadliest states for pedestrians, according to a 2024 report from Smart Growth America.
A report from the Governors Highway Safety Association, which measured per-capita traffic deaths between 2015 and 2019, showed Native American, Alaskan Native and Black Americans were more likely than white Americans to die from traffic accidents.
North Tulsa resident Kolby Ari is founder of a film company and an advocate for more bike-able, walkable streets. He said the tragic death of Charles Marshall doesn’t surprise him.
“I think our community is really used to car-dependent infrastructure, and we don’t realize that it’s quite inhumane. It’s just not built for people like human beings to get around this city,” Ari told the Black Wall Street Times.
“We’re in the Blackest part of Tulsa with a historic legacy of Black excellence, that had an infrastructure that was more walkable and more friendly and humane for human beings,” Ari said.
More bike lanes lead to economic boost
Even after the city-sanctioned 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, Greenwood was home to wide streets and walkable infrastructure, thanks to the resilience of Black Wall Street leaders and residents who rebuilt neighborhoods block by block.
Yet decades later, the policies from urban renewal and local leaders who refused to invest in this part of the city has created a dangerous environment for pedestrians. For Kolby Ari, the solution is simple.
“There’s other cities that have complete sidewalk networks. They have complete connected bike lane networks. And these give people, human beings, opportunities to get to where they need to without interacting with or having to cross the path of 2000-pound metal vehicles. So, that’s like a no-brainer,” he told theBWSTimes.
Notably, research from the Transportation Research and Education Center shows adding more pedestrian and biking infrastructure can provide a positive economic impact on cities.
Residents urge city to protect pedestrians
In recent months, communities and local governments have come together to make streets safer for residents in north Tulsa, the historically Black part of the city where decades of disinvestment have led to wide sections of streets with no street lights or sidewalks.
As the incoming mayor and first Black mayor-elect in Tulsa’s history, Monroe Nichols has the opportunity to address similar issues highlighted during the campaign: public safety, street lights and public transportation.
Ultimately, electric wheelchair users like Nnaka believe traveling to a destination, by any means, shouldn’t come with a death sentence.
“Pedestrians, regardless of ability or disability, deserve to safely get from one place to another,” Nnaka posted. “At the end of the day, this man tragically lost his life. Prayers to his family.”