Andrew Rice (DOC file photo)
By Patti Weaver
STILLWATER — A Stillwater man accused of fleeing on foot from the scene of an injury accident at Eastgate near 6th Street has been ordered to appear in court with an attorney on June 11 on a hit and run charge.
Due to his criminal record, Andrew Niles Rice, 35, who was apprehended in minutes, could be given as much as a life prison term if convicted of the felony on which he remains free on $5,000 bond.
Stillwater Police Officer Jennifer Gripe wrote in an affidavit that at 3:04 pm on April 11, “I was northbound on Eastgate approaching 6th when I observed multiple vehicles stopping in the roadway on 6th. As I got closer, I could see that a collision had taken place.
“I saw a male in a white shirt and jean shorts running northbound across an open grassy area away from the collision. I saw another male in dark clothing running behind him as though he was chasing him. I also saw two subjects helping a third who seemed to be injured walking away from one of the vehicles.
“A witness flagged me down to advise that a collision had just occurred, and the male in the white shirt was fleeing the scene. I drove west on 4th from Mockingbird and located the suspect on Lisa Ct. as he was running toward the trailer park at 2900 E. 6th.
“There is a cattle panel serving as a blockade between the two neighborhoods. The suspect managed to squeeze between the stockade fence and panel as I was getting out of my patrol unit. I followed through the gate and kept yelling at the suspect to stop. He finally stopped at 3003 E. 4th where I had him get on the ground.
“Andrew Rice advised that he had pulled out in front of the other vehicle, and he ran because he got scared. Rice kept grabbing at his left side and complaining of pain I could also see what appeared to be blood within his nose as he was lying on the ground with his head back. I requested an ambulance respond to check him out.
“Rice kept saying that he wanted someone to call his girlfriend because it was her vehicle he had been in. Rice seemed to lose consciousness as he was no longer responding to me. After a short time, he came back around. Rice denied taking anything that would have resulted in that type of response.
“I did not observe any signs of intoxication. Rice just said that his head hurt. While waiting for LifeNet to arrive, Rice stated multiple times that he did not want an ambulance as he could not afford one.
“Officer Cassidy also informed me during this time that injuries were confirmed in the other vehicle that Rice collided with.” According to the charge, a male in the other vehicle “received injury to his neck, shoulder, knee and head trauma.”
“LifeNet finally arrived, and we walked Rice to them since they parked on the other side of the blockade. Rice told them as soon as we were in earshot that he did not want treatment from them. I then advised Rice that he was being placed under arrest for leaving the scene of a personal injury collision.
“I was later informed by Officer Cassidy that it was found that there was no insurance on the vehicle Rice was driving, and the registration had expired in 2023,” Office Gripe alleged in her affidavit.
According to Payne County court records and the state Department of Corrections, Rice had been released from prison in September of 2023, after serving three and one-half years of an 11-year sentence imposed in 2020 for domestic violence in the presence of children and domestic violence with a dangerous weapon, both in in 2018.
Rice had previously served three and one-half years of a 10-year prison term imposed in 2015 for domestic violence by strangulation in 2014, and a concurrent sentence for unauthorized use of a vehicle in 2011 after his probation was revoked in 2015. Rice had also been given probation for second-degree burglaries in 2010 and 2008 as well as for placing a body fluid on a government employee in 2009, DOC records show.
