OKC man pleads guilty to causing 2 deaths during DUI hit-and-run in Newcastle
On Tuesday, July 11, Antonio Marques Mitchell, 25, of Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On December 20, 2022, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Mitchell with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. The indictment alleges that Mitchell caused the death of two people while in the commission of multiple misdemeanor offenses — including, fleeing the scene of an accident and driving under the influence.
According to an affidavit filed in the case, Mitchell was driving westbound on N.W. 16th Street in Newcastle on December 30, 2021, when he collided with another vehicle at the intersection of State Highway 76 and N.W. 16th Street. The affidavit alleges that a witness told a 911 operator that Mitchell was smoking marijuana and that other witnesses also told police that Mitchell fled the scene of the collision after being asked for proof of insurance.
Minutes after leaving the scene of the first collision, the affidavit alleges, Mitchell swerved into oncoming traffic and again collided with a second car while driving approximately 80 mph eastbound on State Highway 37 in a 55-mph zone. The driver of the second car died at the scene, as did Mitchell’s own passenger. A sample of Mitchell’s blood tested positive for a combination of alcohol, amphetamine, and marijuana.
At a hearing before United States District Judge Stephen P. Friot on July 11, Mitchell pleaded guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter, as charged in the indictment. As part of his plea, Mitchell admitted that he was driving approximately 77 mph in a 55 mph zone eastbound when his car collided with another car in the westbound lane, causing the death of his passenger and the driver of the other car. Mitchell further admitted that it was foreseeable that his conduct was a threat to the lives of others.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in approximately 90 days. At sentencing, Mitchell faces up to eight years in federal prison for each count and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count.
This case is in federal court because Mitchell is a citizen of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and the alleged crime occurred within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation.
This case is a result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office Safe Trails Task Force, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department, the Newcastle Police Department, the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation, and the McClain County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison B. Christian and Mark R. Stoneman are prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.
