Oklahoma sledding tragedy ends with murder charges after a young mother was struck and killed on a dark city street, turning a winter thrill into a criminal case overnight.
Two Oklahoma City residents are now locked up following the late-night death of 30-year-old Makayla Mitchell, who was killed while riding a sled tied to a moving vehicle, police say.
James Kirk, 23, and Angel Walzier, 22, were both booked into the Oklahoma County jail on second-degree murder and DUI charges after officers pieced together what unfolded near Northwest 81st Street and North Walker Avenue.
Jail records show Kirk is also facing additional counts, including child endangerment and causing a fatal collision without holding a valid driver’s license, compounding the legal trouble surrounding the case.
The deadly sequence began shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday, when emergency crews were dispatched to a poorly lit stretch of roadway following reports that a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle.
Responding officers arrived to find Mitchell fatally injured in the roadway, and she was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Oklahoma City police statements provided to local media.
Investigators quickly determined Mitchell had not been walking, but instead had been riding on a sled that was being pulled behind a vehicle operated by Walzier.
Police say Walzier’s vehicle was traveling southbound on North Walker Avenue with Mitchell trailing behind on the sled, attached by a rope that ultimately failed.
When the rope snapped, officers believe the sled slowed and came to rest in the roadway, leaving Mitchell vulnerable in the darkened street.
Moments later, a second vehicle driven by Kirk, which had been traveling behind Walzier, struck Mitchell, according to police accounts.
Authorities noted the area lacked street lighting, creating low visibility conditions that likely worsened the danger of the situation.
Even with the poor lighting, officers suspected impairment played a role and requested a drug recognition officer to evaluate both drivers at the scene.
Police reported that signs of impairment were observed, prompting investigators to obtain blood samples from both Walzier and Kirk.
Following the blood tests, both individuals were taken into custody and formally arrested, police said.
As word of the arrests spread, a friend of Mitchell’s family pushed back on the severity of the charges, describing the incident as a devastating accident rather than a crime.
“It wasn’t intentional,” the friend told KWTV, framing the night as a chain of terrible decisions rather than malice.
The same family friend argued that the defendants were part of the same sledding group and should not be facing murder charges over what he called a tragic mistake.
“It shouldn’t be murder,” he added. “It could have happened to anybody.”
Loved ones described Mitchell as an energetic presence who loved hosting, cooking for others, and doting on her young daughter.
Friends said Mitchell was especially excited about her child’s upcoming birthday, which was just days away at the time of her death.
“She was talking about her daughter’s birthday all day,” the family friend recalled, underscoring the suddenness of the loss.
The Oklahoma case surfaced as sledding-related incidents across the region and country have drawn new scrutiny during winter weather.
In Texas, a separate sledding crash left one teenage girl dead and another critically injured after they were pulled behind a Jeep on an icy residential street.
Frisco police said officers and firefighters rushed to the scene just before 3 p.m. Sunday after receiving reports of a serious sledding accident.
First responders located two 16-year-old girls with life-threatening injuries and performed emergency care before transporting them to nearby hospitals.
One of the teens later died from her injuries, while the second remained in critical condition, authorities said.
Investigators believe a 16-year-old boy was driving a Jeep Wrangler and pulling the girls on a sled when the sled struck a curb and slammed into a tree.
A neighborhood resident, Mark Fischer, told CBS News he witnessed the Jeep moments before the crash while walking his dog.
“I saw a Jeep turning off of one of the streets here,” Fischer recounted, describing the girls riding behind the vehicle on the sled.
Fischer said the Jeep appeared to accelerate quickly as the girls began screaming, though he could not tell whether the screams were playful or panicked.
He said the vehicle disappeared from view moments before the crash occurred, which he later learned had turned fatal.
“From what I saw, the acceleration, especially when it’s ice like this,” Fischer explained, adding that speed and slick conditions appeared dangerous.
Police declined to publicly identify the teens involved, citing their juvenile status, though a social media post later identified the girl who died as Elizabeth Marie Angle.
Elizabeth’s mother, Megan Taylor Angle, confirmed her daughter’s death in a heartfelt Facebook post shared the day after the crash.
“It is with deep despair and utter shock that Brian and I announce the passing of our beautiful 16 year old girl,” Angle wrote.
She described her daughter as a bright and brave spirit who had recently earned her driver’s license and was excited about the future.
“It was all taken away so abruptly in a sledding accident yesterday,” Angle added, calling life fragile and precious.
Back in Oklahoma, law enforcement agencies have continued warning residents about the dangers of winter activities involving vehicles and slick roads.
Police say snow and ice can transform ordinary streets into deadly hazards, particularly when vehicles are used to pull sleds.
During the same stretch of winter weather, an Oklahoma police department released footage from a separate sledding mishap that ended without injuries.
The Jenks Police Department shared video showing an officer losing control while sledding down a hill during a snow day.
In the footage, the officer slides downhill before colliding with a small child standing at the bottom of the slope.
Police clarified that neither the child nor the officer was hurt in the incident, despite the dramatic video.
The department said the clip was released as a reminder about winter safety, even as communities continue to grapple with far more serious sledding tragedies.
