On April 8, 2026, at 11:27 a.m., a vehicle traveling southbound on I-35 lost control for an unknown reason and crossed the center cable barrier. The vehicle struck Trooper Brake, who was traveling in the northbound lanes just south of Hefner Road in Oklahoma City.
Trooper Brake was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the other involved vehicle, Mercedes Bayne, 36, of Oklahoma City, along with a four-year-old passenger, were also pronounced deceased at the scene.
Trooper Brake was a graduate of the 56th OHP Academy in 2006 and has proudly served the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for nearly 20 years, with a significant amount of time assigned to Troop S (commercial motor vehicle enforcement). After his graduation from the academy, he also served in Oklahoma and Logan Counties.
Trooper Brake is survived by his wife and two children.
Our prayers and deepest sympathies are with his family as well as the family of the other driver involved.
OHP’s Traffic Homicide Unit (THU) is conducting the investigation into the crash.
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