Traffic Accident Assistance

At 12:45 pm, I was north bound on I-44, approaching the Airport Rd exit, when I noticed around 9-10 vehicles pulled onto the shoulder. I carefully changed lanes to the left-hand lane and proceeded to where the vehicles were. As I pulled off the road, I activated my emergency lights and saw about 6-8 people standing by a vehicle….that was on its side. It originally looked like they were trying to rescue someone from the SUV, so I grabbed my asp (in case I needed to break a window) and headed over to the wrecked vehicle. One bystander informed me the driver was already out of her SUV and had been moved about 20 feet away. I stepped over to the driver to check her condition and then asked if 911 had been called. One man said he “assumed” they had been called, but was not for sure. I started back to my truck to get my phone when another bystander told me he had called 911. I went back to check on the driver, who was bleeding from cuts and scrapes. Another lady came up and identified herself as a nurse form OU Medical Center, so I let her take care of the driver.

The driver had requested some personal belongings from her SUV, so I grabbed my work gloves and retrieved her keys (which were still in the ignition) and retrieved some of her personal belongings. At around 12:50 pm, an OCPD officer arrived on the scene, so I told him what the driver had told me. At 12:55 pm, an engine and rescue ladder arrived on the scene, as well as EMSA, an EMSA Supervisor and an OHP unit. I watched as the paramedics and firefighters rendered aid to the driver. From the outward appearance, her injuries seemed minor, with cuts and scrapes from where they pulled her out through her windshield. It is possible she had internal injuries and she did complain that the back of her head was hurting. She did tell us she had been wearing her seatbelt. I know she was telling the truth, otherwise, she would have been ejected. At approximately 13:00 pm, the fire units left the scene.

Because of where the accident happened, my truck was completely off the road into the grass, so I was not blocking traffic. As a matter of fact, the wreck was not causing any traffic issues and motorists were continuing to drive as normal. As the trooper sat in the ambulance to get information from the driver, I stayed by my truck and took a few pictures. When he got out of the ambulance, he thanked me for stopping and released me from the scene at 13:07 pm. The cause of the accident? The driver and several bystanders told the trooper she had missed her turn and over corrected trying to make her exit.

Submitted to the Central Oklahoma REACT Team 6023 Board of Directors.