OKLAHOMA CITY -- Police in Oklahoma have confirmed a man killed in a fiery car wreck early Wednesday is Aubrey McClendon, the former CEO of Chesapeake Energy, according to KFOR.
On Wednesday, firefighters were called to a car wreck on Midwest Blvd., between Memorial and 122nd St. Officials say one person died at the scene when the vehicle hit a bridge in the area.
On Wednesday afternoon, KFOR learned that the driver of that vehicle was Aubrey McClendon, the former CEO of Chesapeake.
Officials with the Oklahoma City Police Department held a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, confirming the fatality is McClendon.
Capt. Paco Balderrama says police are still investigating the crash, but added that he was traveling at a "high rate of speed," well over the posted speed limit.
Balderrama says McClendon died instantly from the crash. After that, the 2013 Chevy Tahoe caught fire.
"He pretty much drove straight into the wall," Balderrama said. "The information out there at the scene is that he went left of center, went through a grassy area right before colliding into the embankment. There was plenty of opportunity for him to correct and get back on the roadway and that didn't occur."
The accident occurred less than 24 hours after McClendon was indicted by a federal grand jury.
On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced that Aubrey McClendon was charged with conspiring to rig bids for the purchase of oil and natural gas leases in northwest Oklahoma.
The indictment claims that McClendon orchestrated a conspiracy between two large oil and gas companies to not bid against each other for oil and natural gas leases in northwest Oklahoma.
The conspiracy allegedly ran from December 2007 to March 2012, during which time he was CEO of Chesapeake Energy.
McClendon released the following statement on Tuesday, regarding the indictment:
McClendon, 56, retired from Chesapeake in 2013 and became the CEO of American Energy Partners.
"It is with deep sadness that AELP confirms that earlier today, its founder, Aubrey K. McClendon died in a car accident on Midwest Boulevard in Oklahoma City. Aubrey's tremendous leadership, vision, and passion for the energy industry had an impact on the community, the country, and the world. We are tremendously proud of his legacy and will continue to work hard to live up to the unmatched standards he set for excellence and integrity. We will deeply mourn his loss and please join us in expressing our condolences to his family," a statement from American Energy Partners read.
McClendon was also a partial owner of the Oklahoma City Thunder.