Tulsa Police say a July crash investigation led detectives to a driver accused of traveling more than twice the speed limit before his passenger was killed. Two months later, officers say 28-year-old Austin Lane Clapp tried getting away again, this time by jumping through a side window when police arrived to arrest him.
The investigation began after officers responded to a fatal collision near 8800 E. Admiral Boulevard at approximately 6:16 p.m. on July 12. Police say 27-year-old passenger Anna Allen was ejected through the windshield during the crash and pronounced dead at the scene.
Mingo Valley Traffic Unit investigators reviewed camera footage and Automated License Plate Reader data before identifying Clapp as the driver of the black 2004 Buick LeSabre, according to police. Investigators also determined that Clapp was driving with a suspended license.
Data recovered from the Buick’s Event Data Recorder showed the vehicle traveling at a minimum of 93 mph shortly before the crash, police say. The speed limit in the area was 40 mph, meaning the recorded minimum speed was more than twice the posted limit.
Toxicology Testing Becomes Part of Murder Investigation
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Police say Clapp refused a blood draw at the hospital following the crash, prompting investigators to obtain a search warrant for his blood samples. Laboratory testing subsequently detected ethyl alcohol, Hydroxy-THC, THC, Diphenhydramine and Clonazepam.
A certified Drug Recognition Expert evaluated the evidence and determined Clapp was impaired through poly-drug use involving central nervous system depressants and cannabis, according to Tulsa Police. The department says the impairment left him unable to safely operate a motor vehicle.
Following the investigation, authorities obtained a felony warrant charging Clapp with second-degree murder. The department’s announcement does not provide additional information about the specific legal theory underlying that charge, and the case remains an accusation rather than a conviction.
Clapp Jumps Out Window When Police Come To Arrest Him
Detectives with the Tulsa Police Fugitive Warrants Unit and officers from the Mingo Valley Division Traffic Unit conducted surveillance at a residence near 600 N. 78th East Avenue on the morning of September 17. Police established a perimeter around the residence and repeatedly ordered Clapp to come outside.
Instead, police say Clapp jumped through a side window and attempted to flee through thick foliage in the backyard. Detectives positioned behind the residence spotted him, and officers took him into custody without further incident.
Clapp was booked into the Tulsa County Jail on charges of second-degree murder and obstructing an officer. Tulsa Police emphasized that the arrest and charges are not convictions, leaving the criminal case to proceed through court.
Tulsa Jail Hub Provides No Additional Case Information
We also searched Clapp’s name through the City of Tulsa Jail Hub Inmate Directory for additional information concerning the arrest. That search did not turn up any further publicly available details about the case.
As a result, no additional bond, court, or custody information could be established through the Jail Hub search. The absence of additional information there should not be interpreted as showing whether Clapp remains incarcerated, has been released, or received a particular bond.
For now, the Tulsa Police Department’s investigation update provides the available details surrounding both the July collision and Clapp’s September arrest. The department says its investigation ultimately relied on several sources of evidence, including camera footage, ALPR information, vehicle data, and toxicology testing.