OKLAHOMA CITY – The former CEO of Chesapeake was found dead following a fatal car wreck less than 24 hours after being indicted by a federal grand jury.
KFOR in Oklahoma City is reportingthat firefighters were called to a car accident on Midwest Blvd., between Memorial and 122nd Street.
LISTEN: 911 calls from fatal OKC crash involving former Chesapeake CEO Aubrey McClendon
Officials told KFOR that one person died at the scene when the vehicle hit a bridge in the area.
Wednesday afternoon, KFOR was able to confirm that the driver of the vehicle was Aubrey McClendon. Oklahoma City officials held a press conference to confirm the fatality.
Capt. Paco Balderrama with the OKCPD said McClendon’s vehicle was “engulfed in flames.”
Balderrama went on to say “He pretty much drove straight into the wall. The information and evidence at the scene is that he went left of center, went through a grassy area, right before colliding into the embankment."
Balderrama also pointed out that McClendon had “plenty of opportunity for him to correct or get back on the roadway.”
Yesterday, McClendon was indicted by a federal grand jury. According to KFOR, The indictment claims that McClendon orchestrated a conspiracy between two large oil and gas companies to not bid against each other for oil and natural gas leases in northwest Oklahoma.
The NBC station in OKC says the conspiracy allegedly ran from December 2007 to March 2012, during McClendon's time as CEO of Chesapeake Energy.
Chesapeake sent a statement saying "Chesapeake is deeply saddened by the news that we have heard today and our thoughts and prayers are with the McClendon family during this difficult time.”
AELP sent a statement regarding the death of McClendon saying "It is with deep sadness that AELP confirms that earlier today, its founder, Aubrey K. McClendon died in a car accident on Midwest Boulevard in Oklahoma City. Aubrey’s tremendous leadership, vision, and passion for the energy industry had an impact on the community, the country, and the world. We are tremendously proud of his legacy and will continue to work hard to live up to the unmatched standards he set for excellence and integrity. We will deeply mourn his loss and please join us in expressing our condolences to his family."
Our hearts go out to Aubrey McClendon's family. https://t.co/BaFVTdINDh
— Hideaway Pizza (@hideawaypizza) March 2, 2016
The death of Aubrey McClendon is a tragedy for his family & #Oklahoma. Cindy & I pray the Lord’s comfort over those that his life touched.
— Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) March 2, 2016
T. Boone Pickens sent a statement saying "I’ve known Aubrey McClendon for nearly 25 years. He was a major player in leading the stunning energy renaissance in America. He was charismatic and a true American entrepreneur. No individual is without flaws, but his impact on American energy will be long-lasting.”
“My thoughts and prayers are with Aubrey McClendon’s family, friends and colleagues during this very difficult time. Aubrey will be remembered for his innovations in the oil and natural gas industry, his civic generosity and being a driving force to help grow economic opportunities for Oklahoma City. He was a visionary who raised the profile of Oklahoma.” – Governor Mary Fallin.
Chad Warmington, President of Oklahoma Oil & Gas Association, commented on the passing of Aubrey McClendon: “Today’s events are tragic in many ways. Aubrey McClendon was a pioneer in the oil and natural gas industry. His vision and leadership helped make Oklahoma the leader it is in oil and natural gas development. The impact of his life’s work is evident throughout the industry. He was also an incredibly proud Oklahoman who loved his state and demonstrated that through incredible generosity. Most importantly, he was a loving husband and father. We mourn with the McClendon family, and we will keep them in our thoughts and prayers.”
“I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing today of Aubrey McClendon. He was one of the most visionary and brilliant people I have ever met. He was a difference maker and a key player in the shale revolution in America. He will be greatly missed. At this difficult time, we extend our prayers to his family," said OSU President Burns Hargis.
John T. Raymond, founder and CEO of EMG commented, “I am personally shocked and saddened by Aubrey’s untimely passing. Aubrey’s extraordinary talent and leadership in forming and ultimately guiding each business and management team to independence with such success and scale is unprecedented. We will greatly miss his perspective and the unbridled optimism and enthusiasm he brought to everything he did and to everyone with whom he worked. His legacy will live on in the independent management teams he helped create, comprised of beloved employees and partners, as they lead each of these distinct businesses into the future and in the value they will deliver for many years to come. His insatiable, thought inspiring intellectual curiosity to always find the good in everything and make it better, which manifested itself through dozens of philanthropic organizations and efforts, will be greatly missed, particularly in his dearly loved home town of Oklahoma City. While we remain proud of our partnership with him, we are most deeply saddened by the loss of a friend. His family remains in the thoughts and prayers of all of us at EMG and our numerous financial partners."
Thursday, AELP sent a message of gratitude for the support given, "AELP would like to thank EMG, its numerous investors and industry friends for the tremendous outpouring of support for the company and for the McClendon family. While all of the employees of AELP are deeply saddened by this tragic event, we are firm in our conviction that Aubrey would want us to persevere and continue his extraordinary legacy of innovation and creativity. Scott R. Mueller, Ryan A. Turner, and Thomas J. Blalock, Aubrey’s leadership team at AELP, added “We are proud to have worked for Aubrey and to have been a part of starting seven institutionally-funded businesses under his leadership. One of Aubrey’s many skills was recruiting, motivating and retaining the industry’s strongest talent and each of the businesses that Aubrey created with EMG is led by a dedicated management team that is positioned for success in the years to come. While Aubrey’s absence will leave a tremendous void on the AELP platform, we employ a talented team of individuals that will be available to support, if needed, the existing businesses and it will carry on the new business development tradition established by our founder, friend and mentor, Aubrey K. McClendon.”
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