‘Absolute Sweetest’ Grandmother Killed by Alleged Drunk Driver Accused of Fleeing Previous Crash

An Oklahoma grandmother is dead after she was struck head-on Tuesday morning by an alleged drunk driver that was allegedly fleeing the scene of an earlier crash.

Just after midnight on Tuesday, Jennifer Holt, 46, was driving near 81st and Garnett in Broken Arrow when she was struck, News on 6, Fox23 and the Tulsa World report.

The driver of the vehicle, Hector Manuel Hernandez, 35, allegedly crossed the center line into oncoming traffic, Broken Arrow Police Officer Chris Walker said, according to News on 6.

Police allege Hernandez was driving under the influence of alcohol and slurred his words after being arrested, telling officers “just take me in,” according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the station.

Police say minutes before he hit Holt, Hernandez allegedly rear-ended an SUV down the road and fled the scene.

“A lot of times DUI suspects will attempt to leave the scene of a collision. They don’t want to go to jail for a DUI, which is tragic. An innocent person lost their life because he did not stay around,” Walker said.

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Holt was struck while out on her lunch break while working the overnight shift at her job at Hillcrest Hospital South.

Hernandez faces charges of first-degree manslaughter, driving under the influence of alcohol, leaving the scene of an accident, unsafe lane use, failure to carry insurance verification and following too closely.

It was not immediately clear if he has entered a plea and attorney information of Hernandez was not available Wednesday.

A friend told News on 6 that Holt “was a devoted mom and grandmother. She had a heart of gold, we all loved her and will miss her terribly.”

She leaves behind a husband, five children and three grandchildren.