Two people injured in a two-vehicle accident on SH9 E near Longtown on Aug. 21 were flown to St. Francis hospital in Tulsa.
Due to a new policy by the OHP, the agency no longer posts information about injury accidents – only accidents where a fatality is involved.
Therefore, the identities and condition of the two victims are not known.
An OHP spokesperson said the change in policy is due to a manpower issue in its communications department.
In the past a trooper investigating an accident would put the information on its wire service and the communications department would write the story from the wire report and distribute it on-line.
Apparently the only way to get some vital information for the public about an injury accident is to submit a request and pay a $7 fee, a process that may take weeks.
Following a request to the OHP’s communications department concerning the Aug. 21 accident, the following information was released: “At 8:30 a.m. (Aug. 21) a two-vehicle accident was reported on SH9 about ½ a mile west of SH9A. Eastbound vehicle crossed the centerline, entered the other lane striking Westbound Unit 2. There was one occupant in each vehicle. Both drivers were life-flighted to St. Francis in Tulsa.”
Eufaula Fire Chief Chad French filled in a few details about the incident.
“Not sure on the details that caused the wreck,” French said. “Due to the severity of the collision, we were focusing on the drivers that were pinned and injured. “When our department arrived, #9 Fire Department was on scene. They were working to extract the male driver from the maroon 4-door Impala.
“We immediately started to work on the white GMC SUV to extract the female driver.
“Due to the severity of the injuries, both drivers had to be flown to the hospital from the scene. Both drivers were conscious and able to talk when we arrived and when they left the scene for the hospital.
“Both, #9 Fire Department and Eufaula Fire Department worked collectively together to get the drivers out of their vehicles as quickly and safely as possible, so they could receive medical treatment and get transported to the hospital.”
The Eufaula Fire Department had just this month demonstrated how they extract injured drivers out of their vehicles during the National Night Out held in Eufaula.
