Inset left to right: James Kirk and Angel Walzier (Oklahoma County Detention Center). Background: The intersection where a woman died while sledding in Oklahoma City (Google Maps).
Two people in Oklahoma are behind bars after a woman was killed while sledding over the weekend, law enforcement officials say.
James Kirk, 23, and Angel Walzier, 22, stand accused of one count each of second-degree murder and DUI, according to Oklahoma County jail records. Kirk is also charged with child endangerment and causing a fatal accident without a valid driver's license.
The underlying incident occurred late Sunday near the intersection of Northwest 81st Street and North Walker Avenue in Oklahoma City, police said.
Around 11 p.m. that night, officers were called to the dimly-lit area in response to a call about a person who was hit by a car.
There, 30-year-old Makayla Mitchell was pronounced dead at the scene, the Oklahoma City Police Department told local Fox affiliate KOKH and CBS affiliate KWTV.
The victim had been riding on a sled attached by rope to a vehicle being driven by Walzier, police said.
During the incident, Walzier's vehicle was traveling south on North Walker Avenue, pulling Mitchell on the sled, when the rope snapped, police said. The sled slowed to a halt in the middle of the road. Meanwhile, Kirk's vehicle was traveling behind them and struck Mitchell, authorities claim.
Police said the street had no lamps, which contributed to poor visibility at the time of the incident. Officers, however, believed both drivers were also under the influence, so a drug recognition officer evaluated the defendants and found signs of impairment, according to law enforcement.
After that, investigators conducted blood tests on both Walzier and Kirk, and the pair were subsequently arrested, police said.
"It wasn't intentional," a friend of Mitchell's family told KWTV. "It was just all a mistake. A tragic mistake."
The friend insisted the defendants – who were part of the sledding group – should not be charged with murder.
"It shouldn't be murder," he added. "It could have happened to anybody."
The victim was described as an outgoing host, a great cook, and a proud mother to her baby girl, who is just shy of 2 years old.
"Her daughter's birthday is coming up," the friend added. "And that's all she was talking about all day yesterday. Her daughter's birthday. Her daughter's birthday. Her daughter – and then – it's just sad because now her daughter, you know."