OKAY, OK — A man wanted on warrants in Arkansas was taken into custody after Wagoner County deputies said a pickup chase in Okay ended with the truck overturned on its roof. The Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office said the incident happened Oct. 27 while deputies were helping Cherokee Nation marshals look for William Smith.
Authorities said the search led them to a residence where Smith was believed to be staying. A deputy then saw a silver pickup trying to leave the property, and the situation quickly escalated when the driver backed away in a hurry. Deputies said emergency lights and sirens were activated as the vehicle moved off, but the driver soon lost control.
Deputies say the search began with Cherokee Nation marshals
According to the sheriff’s office, Wagoner County deputies met with Cherokee Nation marshals before heading to the home where Smith was thought to be located. The two agencies were working together as part of the effort to find him on outstanding warrants from Arkansas.
That coordinated search brought deputies to the property in Okay, where they watched for movement around the residence. Officials said the pickup was seen as it was attempting to leave, which put deputies in position to intervene. The sheriff’s office has not said what the Arkansas warrants involved, only that Smith was wanted there and also had holds from multiple locations in the state.
The arrest grew out of that attempted departure, turning what had been a search into a fast-moving vehicle incident. Deputies said the driver’s actions made the situation more dangerous within moments of their arrival.
Pickup backed away in reverse before deputies activated lights and sirens
Investigators said the driver did not pull forward from the property. Instead, the silver pickup accelerated rapidly in reverse, creating the chase that followed. Deputies then turned on emergency lights and sirens in an effort to stop the vehicle.
The sheriff’s office said the driver continued moving as deputies tried to gain control of the situation. Because the pickup was backing away at speed, the roadway and terrain became harder to manage. The brief pursuit ended when the driver lost control and the truck overturned.
The crash left the pickup on its roof, bringing the pursuit to a sudden stop. Authorities did not say how far the truck traveled before it flipped or whether any other vehicles were involved.
Driver trapped in overturned truck and flown for treatment
Deputies found the driver inside the overturned pickup after the crash. Wagoner EMS responded and transported the driver to a medical helicopter that had been staged at Okay Public Schools, according to the sheriff’s office.
The man was then airlifted to a hospital for treatment. Officials did not release details about the extent of his injuries, but the helicopter transfer shows how seriously responders treated the crash aftermath.
Law enforcement has not said whether any deputies were hurt during the chase. The focus of the response shifted quickly from the pursuit to extracting the driver and getting him to advanced medical care.
Smith was booked into the Wagoner County Detention Center
After he was treated and taken into custody, Smith was transported to the Wagoner County Detention Center. The sheriff’s office said he was held on warrants and holds from multiple locations in Arkansas.
That means the Oklahoma arrest is connected to legal issues already pending in Arkansas, though authorities have not listed the exact agencies or counties involved. The sheriff’s office also has not identified any additional charges tied specifically to the chase or crash.
For deputies, the case ended with Smith in custody after a brief but hazardous encounter. For investigators, it also tied together a cross-state warrant search, a reverse-driving escape attempt and a rollover that required both local and air medical help.
What authorities have said so far about the incident
The Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office has provided the broad outline of the event: deputies were assisting Cherokee Nation marshals, they located a wanted man near a residence in Okay, and the driver tried to leave in a silver pickup. From there, the reverse movement, pursuit and rollover followed.
Officials have not released a fuller crash reconstruction or said whether the pickup struck anything before overturning. They also have not said what started the Arkansas warrants or whether Smith remained hospitalized after the airlift.
Even with those unanswered questions, the sequence described by deputies shows how quickly a warrant check can turn into a serious traffic incident. The crash happened during an active law enforcement search, and the arrest ended only after emergency crews and air medical responders were brought in.
