Death of owner of Oklahoma City thunder to be probed as potential suicide
Energy coy CEO, McClendon was facing charges of market rigging
Drove 'straight into a wall' two hours before he was due to hand himself in to authorities
The crash happened early Wednesday morning in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma when. McClendon's car struck an overpass bridge. Authorities held a press conference later in the day to confirm the victim's identity. 'He pretty much drove straight into the wall' at a 'high rate of speed,' (pictured in flames center and left afterwards). Oklahoma City Police Capt Paco Balerrama said. Although police would not definitively say if it was suicide, Capt Paco Balderrama said it appeared 'pretty cut and dry' as to what had happened, adding that he was going well over the 50mph speed limit in his 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe. McClendon (pictured left) was charged on Tuesday with conspiring to rig bids to buy oil and natural gas leases in Oklahoma, the Justice Department said.
Photo: Reuters
Aubrey McLendon, the former Chesapeake Energy Corp CEO, has died in a car crash less than 24 hours after being indicted on conspiracy charges. The crash happened on Wednesday morning around 9am in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma when the 56-year-old's car struck an overpass bridge. 'He pretty much drove straight into the wall,' said Capt. Paco Balderrama at a press conference.
'The information out there at the scene is that he went left of center, went through a grassy area right before colliding into the embankment.'There was plenty of opportunity for him to correct and get back on the roadway and that didn't occur'. He added that McClendon was not wearing a seat belt and was driving his 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe well over the 50mph speed limit before it was 'engulfed in flames immediately'.
Police would not say whether the death was a suicide or not yet. The crash remains under investigation and authorities say it will be at least two weeks until more information is released but he added at this point it appeared 'pretty cut and dry' as to what had happened. 'It is 'possible' that McClendon could have suffered some sort of medical event.' He was supposed to turn himself into jail at 11am.
McClendon, who was dubbed 'America's Most Reckless Billionaire' by Forbes, is survived by his wife Katie - a Whirlpool heiress and relative of the model Kate Upton - and their three adult children Jack, Callie and Will.
He was a part owner of the Oklahoma City Thunder where he could frequently be seen courtside during games, and the great-nephew of former
'Engulfed in flames': The 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe of Aubrey McClendon erupted in a fireball after he drove it straight into a wall. He was supposed to turn himself into jail just hours later
Up in smoke: Authorities said that although they had not determined what happened exactly, it appeared 'pretty cut and dry'
'He pretty much drove straight into the wall' at a 'high rate of speed,' Oklahoma City Police Capt Paco Balerrama said, adding he was going well above the 50mph limit
The incident happened early on Wednesday morning in Oklahoma City; it has not been confirmed yet whether or not his death was a suicide and police said they would investigate further
Authorities stopped short of labeling McClendon's death a suicide, adding that it was possible he suffered from some sort of medical event
He founded Chesapeake Energy with business partner Tom Ward in 1989 when he was 29 years old turning it from a tiny company into the second-biggest gas producer in the US behind only Exxon Mobil. He was forced to leave the company under a cloud in 2013 however amid a shareholder revolt over concerns he mixed personal dealings with company operations.
McClendon was charged on Tuesday with conspiring to rig bids to buy oil and natural gas leases in the state.
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