Falling asleep, then managing to hit pretty much the only bridge for a few miles around at that kind of angle that inflicted that massive of a consequence? Um, yeah, it's *possible*, but not very likely.

But if you wanted it to look like an accident because of a large life insurance policy, then a single car wreck is a better way to go about it. They cant prove that it was on purpose. Make it an obvious suicide and then his family wouldnt get anything from insurer.

Doesn't matter after 2 years on an Oklahoma policy, plus even in that time frame they have to prove it was suicide, something given the nature of his death they'll never be able to do.

I can see both sides.

The night before his death, Aubrey missed a dinner with Vicente Fox, the former president of Mexico.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/special-report-final-days-deals-aubrey-mcclendon-181030748.html

^

Thanks for posting that. Reuters continues to do amazing work in their coverage of CHK and Aubrey.

Sure paints a pretty gloomy picture of Aubrey's situation, even before the indictment came down.


Had not previously heard he had agreed to pay CHK to settle their claims against him for allegedly stealing trade secrets as he was leaving the company.

Add that to the settlement in the Michigan price fixing charges, and his reputation would have taken a big hit independent of the federal charges.

OkieFunk.com: Was OKC Renaissance Funded In Part By A Crook’s Money? (http://okiefunk.com/content/was-okc-renaissance-funded-part-crook%E2%80%99s-money)

Stop the McClendon worship. The vast majority of American people who are multi-millionaires and billionaires give money to charities and their pet projects. This is how they buy loyalty and basic indifference to suspect business practices and, in some cases, criminal activity. It’s an Oklahoma and very much overall old American story. It’s a way to ensure deep income disparity and worship of the wealthy. It’s the American form of aristocracy. It’s a way to buy off the intelligentsia from riling up the masses. Note McClendon’s donations, for example, to what passes as the high arts in Oklahoma City. The wealthy McClendon was absolutely nothing special in this regard. He was rich. That’s what made him so special to so many people. That’s his legacy. He was rich. If he wasn’t rich, I wouldn’t even be writing this or you wouldn’t even be reading this. I assume he was genuinely likable and lovable to some people, especially his family and close friends. A lot of people, of course, are likable and lovable. But I get physically squeamish reading the tributes about McClendon’s life when I think of all the Oklahoma teachers, social workers, first-responders and healthcare providers and others I’m not intentionally leaving out who have devoted their lives and careers to serving others while getting paid less in their entire lives than a pittance of what McClendon made in one year and spent on his lavish lifestyle during his glory years. McClendon, along with Ward, once donated more than $1 million to an organization dedicated to stopping sex-same marriage. What a visionary.

(snip)

In the end, McClendon simply wasn’t the great philanthropical and mythical figure so many people crave him to be because they took his money and want to feel good about it. Have at it if you must qualify it. But here’s how I see it: At the very best, McClendon helped to create many really good-paying jobs here for a couple of decades or so in an environmentally unsound industry that’s damaging the planet by accelerating global warming before he helped to ruin the Oklahoma economy as he lived it up large as romantic wildcatters tend to do. He had himself a good ride as he took the bull by the horns, as any decent Okie might put it. Most of us got left with the tail end of the bull after his ride.

At the worst, he was a simple crook, nothing more, nothing less.

^

I knew this sort of thing was coming and now that a bit of time has passed, you can bet they'll be more.

OkieFunk.com: Was OKC Renaissance Funded In Part By A Crook’s Money? (http://okiefunk.com/content/was-okc-renaissance-funded-part-crook%E2%80%99s-money)

Stop the McClendon worship. The vast majority of American people who are multi-millionaires and billionaires give money to charities and their pet projects. This is how they buy loyalty and basic indifference to suspect business practices and, in some cases, criminal activity. It’s an Oklahoma and very much overall old American story. It’s a way to ensure deep income disparity and worship of the wealthy. It’s the American form of aristocracy. It’s a way to buy off the intelligentsia from riling up the masses. Note McClendon’s donations, for example, to what passes as the high arts in Oklahoma City. The wealthy McClendon was absolutely nothing special in this regard. He was rich. That’s what made him so special to so many people. That’s his legacy. He was rich. If he wasn’t rich, I wouldn’t even be writing this or you wouldn’t even be reading this. I assume he was genuinely likable and lovable to some people, especially his family and close friends. A lot of people, of course, are likable and lovable. But I get physically squeamish reading the tributes about McClendon’s life when I think of all the Oklahoma teachers, social workers, first-responders and healthcare providers and others I’m not intentionally leaving out who have devoted their lives and careers to serving others while getting paid less in their entire lives than a pittance of what McClendon made in one year and spent on his lavish lifestyle during his glory years. McClendon, along with Ward, once donated more than $1 million to an organization dedicated to stopping sex-same marriage. What a visionary.

(snip)

In the end, McClendon simply wasn’t the great philanthropical and mythical figure so many people crave him to be because they took his money and want to feel good about it. Have at it if you must qualify it. But here’s how I see it: At the very best, McClendon helped to create many really good-paying jobs here for a couple of decades or so in an environmentally unsound industry that’s damaging the planet by accelerating global warming before he helped to ruin the Oklahoma economy as he lived it up large as romantic wildcatters tend to do. He had himself a good ride as he took the bull by the horns, as any decent Okie might put it. Most of us got left with the tail end of the bull after his ride.

At the worst, he was a simple crook, nothing more, nothing less.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

And having said this, Teddy picked up a stick and went on to single handedly win WW1.

Falling asleep, then managing to hit pretty much the only bridge for a few miles around at that kind of angle that inflicted that massive of a consequence? Um, yeah, it's *possible*, but not very likely.

Of course it's possible. An offset crash like that is one of the most common types of crashes. You're making it out to be fantastic circumstances, yet I'd bet money that he's not even the first person to nail this bridge and die, and I'll bet it has been done by accident. These types of crashes happen plenty often.

I'm only acknowledging that until further evidence comes to light I don't know for certain what caused his crash, and neither do you.

OkieFunk.com: Was OKC Renaissance Funded In Part By A Crook’s Money? (http://okiefunk.com/content/was-okc-renaissance-funded-part-crook%E2%80%99s-money)
[/i]

Guy has a point. I didn't necessarily agree with this, though:


I hate to be this blatantly honest on some level, but if you’re in a career-driven space in your life looking to move up the ladder it might be wise for you to now look for job opportunities outside of Oklahoma, and this especially applies to educators.

If everyone moves out (especially teachers), who is going to be left here? We are going to become Okiestan then...

^

That point also assumes that the only way to get ahead is to go work for a big company.

In terms of people wanting to run their own business or work for a smaller company, there is as much opportunity here as anywhere.

I always drive at high speeds on narrow two lane roads, while heading for a narrow bridge tunnel....

I always drive at high speeds on narrow two lane roads, while heading for a narrow bridge tunnel....

Jesus, bro. just give it a rest.

I always drive at high speeds on narrow two lane roads, while heading for a narrow bridge tunnel....

Kind of a douchey comment...

I always drive at high speeds on narrow two lane roads, while heading for a narrow bridge tunnel....

The speed limit there is 50 mph, same as the speed limit from just South of 63rd all the way to memorial. The city didn't see the need to lower the speed limit. I have driven that road through the bridge tunnel more than 500 times and never saw the need to slow down. I'm not a speeder (I don't like paying tickets), but I wouldn't have been uncomfortable driving 60-70 mph. By the way, what do you consider "narrow two lane roads"? It's a normal two lane road. I lived 1.5 miles from there for 40+ years, so yes, I do know the area well.
C. T.

Jesus, bro. just give it a rest.

I prefer "Brah" ....

We glorify the wrong people and the wrong type of people.... I hear they are trying to rename a street in front of the boathouse to AM boulevard.... Give me a break, the guy was crooked regardless of what you want to sugarcoat it with, gambler , Renaissance man, philanthropist. Etc.... Turns out he just wasn't a very honest man , making an honest living.... So let's glorify his corruption.... not this guy

I prefer "Brah" ....

We glorify the wrong people and the wrong type of people.... I hear they are trying to rename a street in front of the boathouse to AM boulevard.... Give me a break, the guy was crooked regardless of what you want to sugarcoat it with, gambler , Renaissance man, philanthropist. Etc.... Turns out he just wasn't a very honest man , making an honest living.... So let's glorify his corruption.... not this guy


I'm going to advise that you just stop.

Also, I'm not trying to "sugarcoat" a darn thing. You're comment was simply irritable and senseless. And tbh, you sound jealous.

I'm not going to turn this conversation into a "you have no idea what you're talking about" argument, but that's EXACTLY what it is. I'm not exaggerating when I say; the "criminal acts" he was accused of, in one way, shape, or form take place on a daily basis in the industry. I know this first hand, and if you had any association with the industry, you would as well.

Side note; I want everyone to know that there were easily 10-20 additional competitors in the exact area, at the exact time, trying grab up the leasehold. And think of it this way - If Chk and SD had an agreement to not "bid" (God, I hate when people try to refer to this as bidding) each other up, that had absolutely zero bearing, or influence on the numerous other competitors who were actively pursuing the area. In other words, check Pangea. There are quite a few additional operators in the area.

I've refrained from commenting for over a week, but this is just getting old.

End rant.

I prefer "Brah" ....

We glorify the wrong people and the wrong type of people.... I hear they are trying to rename a street in front of the boathouse to AM boulevard.... Give me a break, the guy was crooked regardless of what you want to sugarcoat it with, gambler , Renaissance man, philanthropist. Etc.... Turns out he just wasn't a very honest man , making an honest living.... So let's glorify his corruption.... not this guy

Yes, you are completely out of your crooked realm of knowledge here.

I'm going to advise that you just stop.

Also, I'm not trying to "sugarcoat" a darn thing. You're comment was simply irritable and senseless. And tbh, you sound jealous.

I'm not going to turn this conversation into a "you have no idea what you're talking about" argument, but that's EXACTLY what it is. I'm not exaggerating when I say; the "criminal acts" he was accused of, in one way, shape, or form take place on a daily basis in the industry. I know this first hand, and if you had any association with the industry, you would as well.

Side note; I want everyone to know that there were easily 10-20 additional competitors in the exact area, at the exact time, trying grab up the leasehold. And think of it this way - If Chk and SD had an agreement to not "bid" (God, I hate when people try to refer to this as bidding) each other up, that had absolutely zero bearing, or influence on the numerous other competitors who were actively pursuing the area. In other words, check Pangea. There are quite a few additional operators in the area.

I've refrained from commenting for over a week, but this is just getting old.

End rant.

I posted something similar to this up the thread and I agree completely.

It's pretty ironic that CHK & SD are being accused of the "anti-competitive" activity of colluding to reduce lease bonus offers when reducing them actually encourages competition from others. I second your comment on 10-20 competitors in the area, I think there were easily over 20.

And the term "bidding" is about as stupid as using "fracking" as a blanket term for all types of oil and gas exploration activity. The only time you ever bid on a lease is in state and federal land auctions which cover a minority of acreage in that part of the state. State auctions are in a sealed bid format anyway so there is litterally no way to keep bonus prices down....anyone that wants to submit a bid gets one shot do so regardless of any partnership between 2 or more companies.

If the DOJ can prove that making something cheaper discourages competition, I will be pretty impressed. Unless there is some very damning evidence that shows CHK and SD were doing something completely against common industry practice, this just seems like a witch hunt being carried out by an anti-fossil fuel administration.

I posted something similar to this up the thread and I agree completely.

It's pretty ironic that CHK & SD are being accused of the "anti-competitive" activity of colluding to reduce lease bonus offers when reducing them actually encourages competition from others. I second your comment on 10-20 competitors in the area, I think there were easily over 20.

And the term "bidding" is about as stupid as using "fracking" as a blanket term for all types of oil and gas exploration activity. The only time you ever bid on a lease is in state and federal land auctions which cover a minority of acreage in that part of the state. State auctions are in a sealed bid format anyway so there is litterally no way to keep bonus prices down....anyone that wants to submit a bid can do so regardless of any partnership between 2 or more companies.

If the DOJ can prove that making something cheaper discourages competition, I will be pretty impressed. Unless there is some very damning evidence that shows CHK and SD were doing something completely against common industry practice, this is just seems like a witch hunt being carried out by an anti-fossil fuel administration.

Wish I would have saw your statement before I said something. I just finally gave in, and had to grab the mic for a second.

Your last paragraph - Spot. On. Unfortunately, I think that is the case here.

Oh yeah - I guess I'd better stick to conducting my business over the phone from now on. Kidding, but I'm sure you get my point.

You could be nice to him. In another thread I invited him to try another restaurant. Big leagued me.

Wish I would have saw your statement before I said something. I just finally gave in, and had to grab the mic for a second.

Your last paragraph - Spot. On. Unfortunately, I think that is the case here.

Oh yeah - I guess I'd better stick to conducting my business over the phone from now on. Kidding, but I'm sure you get my point.

I'll also add that private mineral owners are not ever required to accept a lease offer. If you think an offer on your property is too low, you can decline it and hold out for a better one. Sometimes waiting can work to your advantage if activity in the area heats up and offers increase, but it can also leave you with nothing if an offset operator drills a bad well (or there is a massive decline in commodity prices as is the case today).

Oklahoma is a forced pooling state, so if you hold out until a company that has leasehold adjacent to your property (or has interest in the same tract of land) wants to drill a well, they can pool you into a unit. If this happened you would receive a pooling offer letter containing 3 or 4 options. The first option allows you to participate fully in the drilling of the well. In this option you have to pay your proportionate share of the drilling and completion costs (or dry hole costs), but you also receive a full proportionate share of the revenue. This is the highest risk option. The next three options are basically lease offers based on the market lease bonus rates in the area as agreed upon by the corporation commission at the time of the pooling. There is usually one offer with a high bonus and low royalty amount (ex. $1000/acre bonus, 1/8 royalty), a lower bonus and higher royalty ($750/acre, 3/16) and sometimes there is a royalty in lieu of cash offer (1/5). If you don't like something about the pooling or don't think it is fair, you can protest it. All of that to say, that no matter what happens, a private mineral owner has the opportunity to sign a lease at the market rate or participate if a well is drilled on a unit that encompasses their acreage.

On a related note, when a pooling hearing for a unit is set, the OCC makes pooling application public. That application includes a respondent list that shows all leasehold owners, unleased mineral owners, and unlocatable mineral owners being pooled. Aubrey McClendon & Tom Ward started Chesapeake in the late 80s largely by "busting" poolings. That means taking the respondent list, finding and leasing mineral owners that the pooling applicant was unable to locate, making a deal with mineral owners that the applicant was unable to lease, and then participating in the well with what ever interest they could amass in the unit. They were some of the first people to really aggressively pursue that strategy (at least after the bust).

I prefer "Brah" ....

We glorify the wrong people and the wrong type of people.... I hear they are trying to rename a street in front of the boathouse to AM boulevard.... Give me a break, the guy was crooked regardless of what you want to sugarcoat it with, gambler , Renaissance man, philanthropist. Etc.... Turns out he just wasn't a very honest man , making an honest living.... So let's glorify his corruption.... not this guy

In light of the "Let's stop the negativity, folks" thread, why are people coming in to the Aubrey McClendon threads and doing this? Another one was just shut down because of this nonsense. OK, sure, not that we needed three threads anyway, but come on people. If you're here just to post this crap, please re-evaluate your life.

Was he a saint? No. Was he a demon? No. Was he a man? Yes.

Pete: You closed the other thread (live blogging the memorial service) when this BS started basically saying every point that could be made had been made. I believe that is true here as well. I was dissatisfied when this one had degenerated to "I don't think it was suicide, but have no proof" vs "I think it was suicide but have no proof" vs "It is rude to think it is/isn't suicide with no proof" etc etc etc. I pondered stopping reading it, and after reading this crap wish I had. Might it not be time to close this one as well, for the same reasons? We don't know, we may never know, and while discussing it is fine the tone this discussion has taken recently is not cool.

Unless there is some very damning evidence that shows CHK and SD were doing something completely against common industry practice, this just seems like a witch hunt being carried out by an anti-fossil fuel administration.

Similar statements have been made several times in this thread, and by AM. Obviously, "everyone does it" does not mean it's legal. Maybe common industry practice is legal, maybe it often isn't. AM may have been singled out as the only one to be prosecuted, or the first.

It's entirely possible that AKM and Tom Ward were doing things outside the industry norm. Nobody knows the evidence and all the facts surrounding the case.

And, it's also possible aspects of this practice have been illegal for quite a while and it was only because both McClendon and Ward were ousted from their respective companies within about six months -- and both those companies had motivation to cooperate with an investigation -- that there was a unique opportunity to see all the details and build a strong case.

If AKM did commit suicide over this, he had to have known that the "everyone does it" defense was not going to save him.


It's far too early to write the legacy of Aubrey McClendon.

In light of the "Let's stop the negativity, folks" thread, why are people coming in to the Aubrey McClendon threads and doing this? Another one was just shut down because of this nonsense. OK, sure, not that we needed three threads anyway, but come on people. If you're here just to post this crap, please re-evaluate your life.

Was he a saint? No. Was he a demon? No. Was he a man? Yes.

Pete: You closed the other thread (live blogging the memorial service) when this BS started basically saying every point that could be made had been made. I believe that is true here as well. I was dissatisfied when this one had degenerated to "I don't think it was suicide, but have no proof" vs "I think it was suicide but have no proof" vs "It is rude to think it is/isn't suicide with no proof" etc etc etc. I pondered stopping reading it, and after reading this crap wish I had. Might it not be time to close this one as well, for the same reasons? We don't know, we may never know, and while discussing it is fine the tone this discussion has taken recently is not cool.

This thread took that turn early on after news of Aubry's death hit the media. I made a comment towards this at post 104. Pete called it earlier than that at #59. I agree it's time to give it a rest.

Similar statements have been made several times in this thread, and by AM. Obviously, "everyone does it" does not mean it's legal. Maybe common industry practice is legal, maybe it often isn't. AM may have been singled out as the only one to be prosecuted, or the first.

Again, if the agreement in place is what it appears to be, it has been considered a legal practice for 100 years.

Just to be clear, of course it's fine for people to express their opinions of Aubrey and his actions, just please do it respectfully; both to him and other people here.

Stick to discussing the topic and not getting personal with each other, please.

Again, if the agreement in place is what it appears to be, it has been considered a legal practice for 100 years.

Again, how long something has been in practice doesn't make it legal. Either the practice is legal or it isn't.

It's entirely possible that AKM and Tom Ward were doing things outside the industry norm. Nobody knows the evidence and all the facts surrounding the case.

And, it's also possible aspects of this practice have been illegal for quite a while and it was only because both McClendon and Ward were ousted from their respective companies within about six months -- and both those companies had motivation to cooperate with an investigation -- that there was a unique opportunity to see all the details and build a strong case.

If AKM did commit suicide over this, he had to have known that the "everyone does it" defense was not going to save him.


It's far too early to write the legacy of Aubrey McClendon.

Based on the evidence that has been presented so far, it was a partnership agreement that has been considered legal in every aspect for the entire modern era of the energy industry. The practice they're referenced wasn't even anti-competitive. There would have to be some fairly crazy and damning evidence that has been held back to make what Aubrey and Tom were doing illegal. It's entirely possible that that evidence exists, but based on what I saw first hand while this was supposedly occurring, it doesn't seem like the DOJ's case is nearly as strong as they think it is.

Again, how long something has been in practice doesn't make it legal. Either the practice is legal or it isn't.

I said it IS considered legal and has been for 100 years in my post. I've never said that the length of time it has been in practice is the sole reason it is considered legal though I do think precedent and the fact that no one has challenged it for so long are relevant.

I'm not sure what you're going for here. If you disagree with me that's fine, but if you are going to continue to do so, present some evidence or your opinion on the charges to show why you think I'm wrong instead of just nitpicking my posts.

...I was dissatisfied when this one had degenerated to "I don't think it was suicide, but have no proof" vs "I think it was suicide but have no proof" vs "It is rude to think it is/isn't suicide with no proof" etc etc etc....

I haven't seen too many people arguing the first point, but a number - including me, obviously - have espoused another position; "it certainly could have been suicide, but also could fairly easily have been something else. I don't know which it is, and neither do you. We should all just wait and see what the investigation brings."

Even Paco Balderrama, who seemed to be intimating suicide on the scene, brought up the possibility of drowsy driving when quoted in the Yahoo Finance article. If the cops don't know for sure, then neither does anyone posting on this board.

I don't care so much about being "rude;" I just despise intellectual dishonesty and/or willful ignorance.


...It's far too early to write the legacy of Aubrey McClendon.

Best line so far in this thread, and it certainly cuts both ways.

Thanks as always to PhiAlpha (and also Land Thieves) for bringing an industry perspective to the conversation. It's easy to be on the outside looking in and make judgments about things. This includes labeling the man a saint owing to his community involvement and charming personality, every bit as much as it does labeling him a criminal while not 100% understanding the circumstances of the charges against him.

At this point it seems fair to call him smart, charming, likeable, community minded, driven, aggressive, and it's also probably fair to label him reckless, a gambler, ego-driven, troubled, complex, and a person who appeared to believe that some rules did not apply to him. It's reasonable in light of recent disclosures to say that he appeared to be VERY troubled financially, and to say that he was ACCUSED of wrongdoing. Calling him "a criminal" at this point is slanderous. He was convicted of nothing. Would he have been? I'm sure the details will come out eventually. If it becomes more clear down the road that he had engaged in criminal behavior, then that label would become appropriate.

But as of right now, the jury is still out. Rushing to convict of any behavior - be it criminal or suicide - betrays an ugly bias on the part of the person making the conviction. WE. DON'T. KNOW. YET.

Deleted several posts and put some posters on vacation.

Fair warning: Personal attacks and plain bitching will result in having your posting privileges revoked.

Deleted several posts and put some posters on vacation.

Fair warning: Personal attacks and plain bitching will result in having your posting privileges revoked.

Point taken. My bad.

Aubrey McClendon crash to be discussed Monday by police | News OK (http://newsok.com/aubrey-mcclendon-crash-to-be-discussed-monday-by-police/article/5484896)

Listening to the press release. It is basically vehicle crash data. Here is the bits I got:

It only logs 5 seconds prior to impact.
At beginning of log car was traveling 88-89mph.
Brakes were tapped up to two times during the final 5 seconds when car was steered left of center-travel.
No actual slowing was made with the tapping of the brakes [read as no attempt to actually compress brake for stoppage].
Car travel was ~78mph at point of impact.

I did find it interesting he said there was a witness to the actual crash. But no information from that...?

I assume they were referring to this witness?... Witness Shares Account Of Aubrey McClendon Crash - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/31382894/witness-shares-account-of-aubrey-mcclendon-crash)

That really isn't that fast.

Newsok reports it was *88* MPG on a 50 MPH road.

That's very fast, even on a interstate highway.

People who normally travel that road -- is it common for people to go relatively fast on it?

Also, please do not make any Back to the Future jokes with the whole 88mph thing.

I'm sure people drive fast out there because it's wide open road, but 88? That's a bit crazy.

88MPH into unmovable concrete is pretty darn fast.

Tapping the brakes is a way to keep the car under control at a high speed. They also mentioned he went left of center 60 yards before the impact, or little more then half a football field. So he was flying down the road, started drifting/aiming and was tapping the brakes but not braking leading up to the crash. That favors suicide over accident, can't say for sure, but points that way.

Well if the witness' account is credible, the fact Aubrey blasted through the intersection without stopping, I would say all the information needed is there to rule it being very likely the crash was intentional.

^^^^^^^^
88 MPH is 129 feet per second. So, 60 yards would have been traveled in 1.4 seconds. That is how long he was left of center; 1.4 seconds.

Also, a drowsy driver or someone having a medical emergency would also be likely to blast through an interesection. I don't think those two bits of info tell us much of anything conclusively.

^^^^^^^^
88 MPH is 129 feet per second. So, 60 yards would have been traveled in 1.4 seconds. That is how long he was left of center; 1.4 seconds.

Which is why it points to suicide but isn't 100%, more like 65/35. It could be an accident, but its more likely it was well here it is and aimed right for it. 1.4 seconds is enough time for at least some corrective measure to be taken.

This is 60 yards measured on Google Earth...

Long way to travel on grass and still be straight enough to hit the bridge and not the trees and brush.

Also, there is a 4-way stop at 122nd and Midwest Blvd. so he had to have been a near stop at that point, and this bridge is only .75 a mile from that intersection. You would have to have the pedal to the floorboard to hit that speed in a relatively short distance from a stop.

And if he left the pavement well before the bridge, this does not sound like typical fast driving and more like he was trying to reach the highest possible speed by that point.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/aubrey031416.jpg

Honestly, if I were making a case for suicide the tapped brakes would be the most compelling evidence at this point. Literally everything else could just as easily point to drowsy driving or medical emergency. Tapped brakes would be more likely to indicate some level of consciousness, but even they could just be from someone's foot bumping the pedal when the car goes off-road. Still waiting for the smoking gun in one direction or the other.

Honestly, if I were making a case for suicide the tapped brakes would be the most compelling evidence at this point. Literally everything else could just as easily point to drowsy driving or medical emergency. Tapped brakes would be more likely to indicate some level of consciousness, but even they could just be from someone's foot bumping the pedal when the car goes off-road. Still waiting for the smoking gun in one direction or the other.

There will never be a smoking gun. We won't ever know for sure.

^^^^^^^
Agree that this is a distinct possibility. For the record, I lean toward the suicide explanation too; just saying that when people say the are certain there is absolutely zero chance that they can be. Convinced? Of course. Certain, based on incontrovertible evidence? Poppycock. It's impossible to be at this point.

Hitting 88 MPH in less than 3/4 of a mile also tends to indicate purpose rather than typical fast driving.

And even driving 88 on that stretch is beyond reason. Driving really fast would be maybe 70, not almost 90. There was another stop sign on a 1/4 mile ahead and he had to have known that.

You can watch the full press conference here:

OKC Police: McClendon's Vehicle Was Going 88 MPH Before Impact - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/31462797/okc-police-to-release-new-information-in-crash-that-killed-aubrey-mcclendon)

During the questioning portion, the chief said that preliminary medical reports indicate there was no medical episode.

"Officials said McClendon was not wearing his seat belt and tapped his brakes multiple times before the vehicle crashed. His foot left the gas about 1.5 second before impact, officials said."

This is from KOCO, who also tweeted that "McClendon did not break". So given the discrepancy and blatant illiteracy, can someone tell me what did and did not happen here? The brakes were tapped, but not actually engaged, and then the gas pedal was engaged, his foot leaving it 1.5 seconds before impact? Or did they mean to say brake instead of gas pedal? If it was in fact the gas pedal, is it not equally possible that whatever caused him to veer in the first place caused him to hit the gas accidentally instead of the brake? Impairment, depression, saw a UFO, whatever. My gut still says suicide, but based on this evidence and this evidence alone I don't believe that's proof...for that matter, I'm not even certain if the gas pedal was indeed pressed. Looking at KFOR, they say "McClendon let off the brake completely just before he hit the bridge" which leads me to believe in their rush to "be first", KOCO may have failed to spell/fact check a few things.

Watch the press conference for yourself, as it's a great lesson on how different people hear and witness the exact same thing at the exact same time, then write about it very differently.

Regarding the seatbelt, apparently he was somewhat famous for never wearing it. Perhaps from his land man days, I guess, although for the life of me I think that not wearing a seatbelt is one of the dumbest things ever. Anyway - providing this information is true - not wearing a seatbelt would not be compelling evidence one way or the other. That doesn't mean that other evidence doesn't point in that direction.

Hitting 88 MPH in less than 3/4 of a mile also tends to indicate purpose rather than typical fast driving.

And even driving 88 on that stretch is beyond reason. Driving really fast would be maybe 70, not almost 90. There was another stop sign on a 1/4 mile ahead and he had to have known that.

Were he planning on continuing past the bridge he would probably have stopped and turned at that intersection, There is no outlet past Memorial Rd. on Midwest Blvd. just a few houses, some side streets, a Department of Wildlife building and the lake.

^

Correct

I lean towards the suicide explanation as well, but honestly 88 mph just isn't that fast to me. If I wanted to be sure my suicide attempt was successful, I'd want to go faster than that. I was a pretty crazy driver when I was younger, and 88 in a 50 is kinda slow compared to how I used to drive.

If Aubrey was a dedicated speeder, that might have been normal for him.

I lean towards the suicide explanation as well, but honestly 88 mph just isn't that fast to me. If I wanted to be sure my suicide attempt was successful, I'd want to go faster than that. I was a pretty crazy driver when I was younger, and 88 in a 50 is kinda slow compared to how I used to drive.

If Aubrey was a dedicated speeder, that might have been normal for him.


The data log only hits the 5 seconds prior to impact. he could have been going 100+ and been at 88 five seconds before impact. Then impact happened at 78mph. So basically you have the assumption of aiming the car in a way that he would hit it. Going nearly 90mph and trying to hit something coming up in your view on purpose, takes some level of skill - thus having to decelerate and "tapping brakes" to assure he would clip the wall the way he did.

And I feel like some people in this thread are completely discounting the witness' account of the accident. The guy who saw it happen was @ 122nd and Midwest Blvd, and claims to see Aubrey fly through the intersection which is a 4-way stop going at a very high rate of speed.

Now I don't know about you, but if I see someone blast through a stopsign in front of me going 90+mph. My immediate thought is not "Oh this guy is just going about his day and is known to drive fast".

At this point, we are grasping for coffee stirring straws as to why this was not intentional.

I see people drive fast a lot and my first thought has never been " hey, that guy's going to go commit suicide".