The parents of a 17-year-old Checotah girl killed by a hit-and-run driver April 18, say the investigation is at a standstill and they want the state crime bureau involved.

They also want anyone with information about the death of their daughter, Crystal Strange, to call them. They have reserved a cell phone just for that — (918) 913-2060.

“We want to be sure any leads on Crystal’s death get through,” Linda Strange said Tuesday. “It really upsets me that no more effort has been put into this (finding the hit-and-run driver).”

She said her husband, Ron, asked the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in McAlester to call in the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. She said he was told it was a traffic fatality and under the jurisdiction of the OHP.

Troop Z of the OHP is investigating the accident, an OHP spokeswoman said.

Linda Strange said the OHP has told her “unless somebody comes in and turns their self in, they’re not doing anything more.”

Lt. George Brown, OHP public information officer for northeastern Oklahoma, said the OSBI does get called in on certain investigations. But, in this case, there is no indication Strange died of an intentional act, he said.

“I personally think it was foul play,” Linda Strange said.

Crystal Strange, a Bacone College student, was killed about 8:30 p.m. She was sitting in the middle of Texanna Road, just south of Interstate 40, when a white minivan traveling southbound struck her and drove on, an OHP report said.

Strange was helping a fellow Bacone student, Ryan Lane, with a photo project at the time. He was trying to get a picture of Strange with the moon coming up behind her.

When she saw the vehicle coming toward her, she managed to scoot into the other lane, but the van she saw coming allegedly drove into that lane and hit her, an eye witness said earlier.

Linda Strange said investigators have told her it could not be the type of van first described. She said investigators told her such a vehicle would have drug her daughter a lot further down the road.

She said investigators said there is speculation it might have been a pickup with a camper, a full-size van or an SUV.

Investigators need more leads, Linda Strange said.

Reach Donna Hales at 918-684-2923 or Click Here to Send Email