COLLINSVILLE, Oklahoma — A mother of seven is dead and her boyfriend is behind bars after a heated parking lot argument turned fatal at a gas station in broad daylight.
The incident happened on July 3 at a QuikTrip in Collinsville, a small suburb roughly 20 miles north of Tulsa.
Amber Rena Lee, 37, had gone to the gas station to pick up her parked car after returning some belongings to her boyfriend, Tyler Kendrick, 39. The couple had been together but were in the process of splitting up their property.
Kendrick was waiting for her when she arrived.
What Happened in the Parking Lot
An argument broke out. Police say Kendrick believed Lee had kept some of his possessions. As the confrontation escalated, a friend who was with Lee stepped in to break it up.
That is when Kendrick drove off — and struck Lee in the process.
“We think she got hit and was pulled under by those back tires,” Collinsville Police Chief Matt Burke said. Investigators believe Lee was inadvertently hit as Kendrick reversed his dual-rear-wheel pickup truck.
She was rushed to a nearby hospital but did not survive. Police believe a severed artery in her leg caused her death, pending confirmation from the medical examiner.
Kendrick fled but was tracked down the same day in nearby Owasso using traffic cameras and a police drone. He is currently held in the Tulsa County Jail.
A Mother Remembered
Lee leaves behind seven children, ranging in age from 3 to 18.
Her mother remembered her as someone whose entire world revolved around her kids.
“More than anything, Amber wanted a life filled with love, laughter and precious moments with her babies,” she said. “She was my best friend.”
Kendrick faces one count each of manslaughter and leaving the scene of a fatality.
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