Aubrey McClendon Crashed at 78 Miles an Hour, Investigation Finds

U.S. shale pioneer Aubrey McClendon hit speeds of 89 miles an hour seconds before his Chevy Tahoe slammed into a concrete bridge earlier this month in a fatal crash, according to a report issued Monday afternoon by the Oklahoma City Police Dept.

Mr. McClendon's SUV, which was fitted to run on compressed natural gas instead of gasoline, crossed the center lane more than 60 yards before the crash. He wasn't wearing a seat belt, the Oklahoma City Police said.

Data recovered from the vehicle's black box showed that Mr. McClendon tapped his brakes several times before the crash, but didn't truly brake hard. His Tahoe hit the bridge at roughly 78 miles an hour.

The Oklahoma City medical examiner's office said there didn't appear to be any health emergency with Mr. McClendon before his accident, police said. A spokesman for the department said he would not speculate on whether Mr. McClendon committed suicide, and said that the police investigation is continuing.

Mr. McClendon died in the fiery crash March 2, a day after he was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiring to rig the price of oil and gas leases.

Write to Erin Ailworth at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 14, 2016 15:25 ET (19:25 GMT)

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