With the recent upswing of protests and riots sweeping across the nation, many peopleworryaboutwhatthey can do to exit a tense situation between protesters and motorists.
In April 2021, amid a wave of “anti-riot” legislation following nationwide protests, Oklahomalawmakerspassed HB 1674, a measure granting civil and criminal immunity to drivers who inadvertently injure or kill individuals while fleeing a riot. Governor Kevin Stitt signed the bill on April 21, 2021, and it took effect November 1 of the same year.
UnderHB 1674,amotorist who unintentionally causes harm to a protester while executing a vehicle escape from a riot is protected from prosecution. For the driver to be protected, the driver must have held a reasonable belief that fleeing was necessary to prevent “serious injury or death” and the driver exercised due care during flight. Additionally, blocking public roads during protests became a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail or a $5,000 fine.
HB 1674 emerged in response to a widely publicized 2020 Tulsa incident, when a truck towing a trailer drove through a Black Lives Matter protest on Interstate 244, injuring three participants. The driver involved claimed fear for safety and was not charged.
Backers of the law argue it protects law-abiding citizens and underscores the importance of public safety. Senator Rob Standridge stated, it sets a “high bar”: injury must be unintentional and fear must beimminent.However,critics argue the law imperils civil liberties.
Nicole McAfeeoftheACLU of Oklahoma suggests it may chill First Amendmentprotected activities and could disproportionately impact marginalized communities. The Oklahoma NAACP filed a legal challenge soon after the law’s passage.
In October 2021, a federal judge placed a temporary block on portions of HB 1674 and court proceedings have continued for years. The ongoing legal battle in NAACP v. O’Connor remains active.
As of late 2021, portions of HB 1674 were enjoined pending adjudication. Its final fate, whether it survives constitutional scrutiny or is struck down, will shape the balance between public safety and protest rights in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma’s HB 1674 represents a pivotal moment in the national debate over public protest and vehicular im-munity. Proponents argue it safeguards motorists in genuinely threatening scenarios, while opponents denounce it as an overreach that could erode protest rights. With the courts still reviewing its legality, the bill’s future remains uncertain, and highly consequential.
Several recent “No Kings” anti-Trump rallies and ICE-raids protests across major U.S. cities have turned volatile, with multiple incidents of people being struck by vehicles. In Los Angeles, a driver struck a female protester blocking an intersection, she attempted to push the car, which then ran over her lower leg before fleeing the scene.
She is in stable condition, and the crash is being treated as a hit-and-run. In Riverside, Calif., a similar hit-and-run occurred, with a protester in the road struck and the driver fleeing the scene.
In San Francisco, authorities charged Hauwei Lien, 44, for allegedly ramming his Tesla into a 69-year-old man grasping his hood, resulting in forehead lacerations and two broken toes. Lien faces felony charges including elder abuse, assault with a deadly weapon and hit-andrun. He has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed without bail.
In Salt Lake City, Amid “No Kings” protests, a bystander was tragically killed by a member of the event’s volunteer peacekeeping team during a confrontation involving firearms. Incidents involve both frustrated motorists and purported peacekeepers, with injuries rang-ing from minor to fatal.
These events reflect a disturbing trend, protest zones versus public traffic, precipitating widespread confusion, fear and escalating confrontations. The Oklahoma Freedom Caucus recently emphasized these immunity provisions; warning protestors they risk heavy penalties if they obstruct roads during a riot.
As of June 2025, the current law is enacted, but not fully in force, the law's immunity and misdemeanor provisions are currently paused by court order. Still awaiting a final judicial decision, the federal case remains active, and until there's a resolution, the contested provisions remain temporarily blocked.