U.S. Highway 169 Northbound Reopened After Motorcycle Wreck

For more than an hour, Tulsa police had to divert Wednesday morning rush-hour traffic on U.S. Highway 169 near the Broken Arrow Expressway due to a motorcycle wreck.

All lanes were reopened just before 8 a.m.

At first TPD investigators said the driver of the motorcycle, 60-year-old Garry Nichols, was speeding more than 20 mph over the limit and failed to yield to traffic as he was entering northbound U.S. 169 from the westbound BA Expressway.

Tuesday afternoon his brother contacted News On 6 and provided new information. Kenneth Nichols said his brother was on his way to work when he hit a piece of concrete. He says police officers at the hospital told him his brother was not speeding, but the impact with the concrete knocked the front wheel sideways and caused him to lose control.

His brother says Garry Nichols has multiple broken bones, but has been stabilized. Police did not issue him any citations.

An off-duty EMSA paramedic stopped and administered CPR.

TPD said the helmet he was wearing likely saved his life.

The Osage Casino SKYCAM Network showed traffic backed up to 81st Street around 7:30 a.m.