January 24, 2020
By News Director Jared Atha
Two accidents in the region on Wednesday have put three people in area hospitals.
The first occurred Wednesday morning on Interstate 40 near Hinton. According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the single vehicle accident occurred in the westbound lanes when the 2010 Dodge Ram towing an enclosed trailer experienced a cross wind causing the driver, 85-year-old Leo Schuler of Melvin, Illinois to lose control of the vehicle. The truck ran off the south side of the road hitting a guard rail, then jack knifed and traveled across the roadway running off the north side of I-40 hitting a bridge rail. The truck then rolled 1 ½ times coming to rest on its top in the outside lane. A passenger, 85-year-old Beatrice Davis of Thawville, Illinois was transported to an Oklahoma City hospital and admitted in critical condition with head and arm injuries.
The second accident happened Wednesday night in Jackson county near Blair on U.S. Highway 283. According to the OHP the 1995 Toyota Land Cruiser driven by 53-year-old Mark Clay of Blair was northbound on the highway between Blair and Altus when he attempted to make a left turn across the turning lane and was struck from behind by a 2003 GMC Yukon driven by 60-year-old Victoriano Serna of Mangum. A passenger in the Yukon, 60-year-old Amado Escobedo was pinned inside the vehicle for approximately 30 minutes before being freed by the Altus Fire Department. He was admitted into an Oklahoma City hospital with trunk internal and leg injuries, last listed in fair condition. A second passenger, 57-year-old Maria Escobedo was also hospitalized with similar injuries, also listed to be in fair condition. The driver of the Land Cruiser was uninjured.
