Driver bound over for trial for fatal December 2023 wreck

A Lawton man was bound over for trial Friday for the December 2023 killing of a bicyclist on Cache Road.

Vincent Joseph Sayers, 26, was bound over for trial following his preliminary hearing in Comanche County District Court for felony charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of a fatality accident, records indicate. The murder count is punishable by between 10 years to life in prison.

Sayers is accused of being high on fentanyl when he drove a Mazda MZPV van that struck and killed bicyclist Mark Cochran near Northwest 50th Street and Cache Road on Dec. 22, 2023. Investigators said Sayers fled after the accident.

Security video from Braum’s, 4435 Cache Road, showed the van stop at the intersection and wait for Cochran, who was on his bicycle, before accelerating toward Cochran and colliding into him, running him over and leaving, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Police found the van parked at Sayers’ home, 4421 NW Baltimore, and he and others at the home were taken in for interviews.

Sayers’ mother, Jill Renee Donnell, 44, of Lawton, made her initial appearance on Feb. 28 where she received a felony count of accessory after the fact, records indicate. The crime is punishable by between five to 25 years in prison.

Donnell is accused of lying to police about her son being home. Following a search warrant of Sayers’ Facebook account, conversations between mother and son were discovered.

Sayesr told Donnell to report the van stolen and she later said she did but had to call back and say it was found because Twister Auto was going to track it, the affidavit states.

Donnell also messaged Sayers about meeting up and about parking the van in the garage for a couple of days to let the exhaust dry up so he could weld it, according to the affidavit.

Donnell is free on $20,000 bond and is scheduled for a 4 p.m. May 24 preliminary hearing in her case.

Sayers remains behind bars on $250,000 bond. He returns to court at 9 a.m. April 17 for his formal arraignment, records indicate.