Oklahoma

OHP addresses concerns as self-driving semi trucks hit Oklahoma roads

Published

3 weeks ago

June 2, 2026

Press Room

OHP addresses concerns as self-driving semi trucks hit Oklahoma roads

TULSA, Okla. –

Oklahomans will soon see semis on the road without a driver inside. That has people asking questions about safety.

The Oklahoma legislature passed a law in 2019, which was modified in 2022, allowing for fully autonomous commercial trucks on Oklahoma highways as long as they meet federal safety standards and follow state traffic laws.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is tasked with governing the operation of these trucks on Oklahoma roads. Troopers have been meeting with the truck makers and have trained to learn as much as possible about these trucks before they start operating. News On 6 asked troopers questions like: How will troopers pull them over? How do the trucks avoid crashes? How do the trucks handle unexpected situations?

Nearby states like Texas already have these trucks on the roads, which OHP says is helpful.

“We did have a lot of the same questions the public has. We have a lot of the same concerns about safety,” said Lieutenant Mark Southall with OHP. “We haven’t heard any bad stories from these other states. This company claims they’ve traveled two million miles without an at-fault collision. Meaning they have not been the causation of any collision.”

High-tech cameras in the trucks

OHP says they learned the trucks have cameras that can see a small animal 600 meters away, day or night. This camera system helps the trucks avoid crashes or anything in the roadway.

“We learned the camera systems in these vehicles are very sophisticated, that they can capture an image as small as a small animal up to 600 meters away. Looking at that the human eye can’t see 600 meters away or see something that small, but these cameras can pick that up and begin to make maneuvers to make sure they stay safe,” said Southall. “The cameras are very, very accurate, and they can avoid those crashes. We watched videos when we went to this training where we watched them avoid those crashes.”

How does the truck handle an unexpected road closure?

OHP says the trucking companies say the trucks have been put through just about every situation imaginable.

“The company has put this vehicle using AI through multiple different situations and scenarios that it’s learned from. If it comes upon a situation it wasn’t prepared for, using the camera system inside the vehicle, I think it begins to recognize what it needs to do,” said Southall.

How does law enforcement pull over the trucks?

“These trucks, from what we are told, are made to recognize when they are being stopped, they are made to recognize the red and blue lights and pull over to the shoulder,” said Southall. “If the vehicle senses red and blue lights and maybe they are not being pulled over, they’ll still pull over to the shoulder and stop and let the emergency vehicle go by.”

How does OHP get information if there is no driver?

OHP says there is a number on the cab of the truck that they call, and it takes them to a dispatch center. All of the trucks are equipped with a lock box with the truck’s documentation.

“The dispatch center will give us a code to be able to get into the box, and we can look at the documents on the truck from there,” said Southall.

What if a citizen sees a truck that has crashed or is on fire?

If a citizen sees the truck crashed or on fire, they can call the number on the cab, which goes to the dispatch center.

What if the truck has a mechanical problem while on the road?

OHP says if the vehicle has any sort of malfunction, it is supposed to pull over to the side of the road and stop, and it will alert dispatch.

Will the trucks be on every highway in Oklahoma?

The trucks won’t be on every highway in Oklahoma. For now, the trucks are expected to only run on the major travel routes like I-35 and I-40.

“We don’t work for this trucking company; our interest is working for the people of Oklahoma to make sure these roadways are safe. This is something the state legislature made state law, and we’ve got to begin to work with it so we can understand it,” said Southall.

The trucks could be on Oklahoma roads with drivers for testing as early as this month.

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Oklahoma

Bode Sparrow commits Friday: why BYU is Oklahoma’s biggest threat for the Davis star

Published

7 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Press Room

Bode Sparrow commits Friday: why BYU is Oklahoma’s biggest threat for the Davis star

Kaysville (Utah) Davis athlete Bode Sparrow cut his list to four back in May and has now locked in his commitment date.

Sparrow is a tremendous player on both sides of the ball and checks in as the No. 77 player nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.

He will make his long awaited college choice this Friday, May 25 from a final four of BYU, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah.

In handicapping this race, two schools jump out for us. The first is Oklahoma. I put a commit prediction in for the Sooners back in March and there was some buzz that he could commit around that time.

Sparrow decided to hold off making an early decision in order to take his official visits. Oklahoma was the first visit locked in and for awhile, the only visit that was set, giving even more credence to the Sooners being the team to beat.

“They really believe in me and have a vision for me there,” Sparrow told us after his official visit. “They show me so much love and I have such great relationships with the coaches there.

“I also really like the town of Norman and the plan in place for me from a safety/scheme standpoint. They really have everything I’m looking for in a school. Brent Venables is great, a defensive minded head coach and I just love the all around fit.”

Sparrow followed up his visit to OU with trips to Oregon, Utah and BYU. The Ducks made a big impression and should be considered a dark horse. They are easily one of the toughest schools to recruit against and it would surprise no one if Sparrow ends in Eugene.

Saying that, the school that is gaining a lot of momentum and looks to be Oklahoma’s biggest challenger is BYU. For months we talked to some close to Sparrow, college coaches and trainers who all said the same thing, ‘don’t rule out BYU in the end.’

No one has recruited Sparrow longer than the Cougs. He has been on campus more than any other school, he’s strong in his LDS faith and he has a great connection with the BYU staff including head coach Kalani Sitake.

BYU was able to get the final visit over the weekend and there is some quiet confidence in Provo as well as from a few other recruits/commits who were also on the visit. With the church connection, we’ve long said in a head to head battle, BYU is very tough to beat, especially for an in-state player.

Saying that, there are still Sooner commits we’ve talked to convinced Sparrow is still headed to Norman. That’s why this recruitment has become one of the more fascinating ones to follow this cycle, it’s one of those rare instances where days away from a decision, it could still go in multiple directions.

For now, my commit prediction remains on Oklahoma but BYU is closing fast and this one close to a toss up with a decision quickly approaching.

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Oklahoma

OHP remembers K-9 for protecting countless lives during career

Published

17 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Press Room

OHP remembers K-9 for protecting countless lives during career

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Officials with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are remembering a dedicated K-9 officer who passed away earlier this month.

K-9 Dak was born in 2014 and began serving with the OHP in 2015.

Throughout his distinguished career, officials say Dak’s exceptional instincts made a significant impact on public safety across the state.

During his career, Dak was instrumental in the seizure of over 2,000 pounds of marijuana, 46 pounds of cocaine, 151 pounds of methamphetamine, and 99 pounds of fentanyl.

“These remarkable accomplishments represent countless lives protected and communities made safer through Dak’s service,” OHP wrote.

Dak worked his final shift on June 3 before peacefully passing away from natural causes on June 7.

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“More than his statistics and accomplishments, Dak was a loyal partner, trusted teammate, and beloved member of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. His legacy will live on through the work he accomplished, the bond he shared with his handler, and the many lives he touched throughout his career,” OHP said.

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma captures third MCWS title, defeating North Carolina 13-2

Published

1 day ago

June 23, 2026

Press Room

Oklahoma captures third MCWS title, defeating North Carolina 13-2

It’s Boomer Sooner time in Omaha.

Oklahoma has won the 2026 Men’s College World Series, steamrolling through North Carolina in the winner-take-all Game 3, 13-2, capturing its first national title in over 30 years and third overall. The Sooners are the seventh straight SEC team to win the national championship.

A dogpile with cheers that made its way through the infiled, it closed out the Sooners’ one-for-the-ages NCAA tournament run.

for the third time in program history, the Oklahoma Sooners are national champions 🏆 pic.twitter.com/xEvjGxhqgM
— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) June 23, 2026
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It was an all-around masterclass for OU, jumping out to a 3-1 lead by the end of the third and never looking back. They put at least one run across the plate in four of the final six innings, including three in the fourth and four in the eighth.

The fourth was where Oklahoma’s upper hand became clear. Walker McDuffie’s three consecutive one-out walks loaded the bases, and UNC turned to star freshman Caden Glauber. The Tar Heels were previously 29-0 with whenever he pitched, but he was pulled after a walk and Jaxon Willits’ two-RBI single.

LJ Mercurius was outstanding on the mound, entering for starter Nick Wesloski in the third and tossing 5.2 innings, giving up just one run on four hits. It was his longest outing since April 17.

Outside of Mercurius, shortstop Jaxon Willits and Kyle Branch starred for the Sooners. The former went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and was named Most Outstanding Player, while Branch also went 3-for-4 with a homer and six RBIs, a career-high. He’s the third player all-time to record six or more RBIs in a national championship game.

The victory caps off OU’s gauntlet-like journey to the top. After finishing 11th in SEC regular season play, they knocked off five national seeds — three in the top five and two on the road — leaning on a trio of freshman arms and a historic power surge at the plate.

Men’s College World Series All-Tournament Team: