Oklahoma man charged in students’ death appears for hearing

In this Monday, Feb. 3, 2020, file photo, emergency crews respond to a scene where a vehicle hit several Moore High School students in Moore, Okla. (Chris Landsberger/The Oklahoman via AP, File)

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — An Oklahoma man appeared in court on Friday for a preliminary hearing on murder charges for allegedly driving his pickup truck into a high school cross-country team in suburban Oklahoma City, killing three members.

Max Leroy Townsend faces three counts of second-degree murder for the February deaths in Moore. He also faces charges of leaving the scene of a fatal accident and leaving the scene of an accident with injury.

Five other members of the cross-country team were injured. Police say Townsend was driving nearly 80 mph and crossed two lanes of traffic onto a sidewalk before crashing into the runners.