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October 20, 2008

Wilburton man hurt in crash

Freeing victim from vehicle takes 45 minutes

By Keith Purtell

A 69-year-old Wilburton man was injured Monday morning in a collision with a tractor-trailer rig at the intersection of U.S. 69 and the Muskogee Turnpike.

Shortly before noon, Pete Colwell, 70, of Wilburton was pinned in his 2002 Chevrolet pickup for approximately 45 minutes. Emergency responders used special equipment to peel back the top of the pickup cab to rescue him.

Colwell was taken by Muskogee County Emergency Medical Service to Muskogee Regional Medical Center with trunk and leg injuries. He was later flown to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa where he was listed in critical condition.

Emergency responders included the Muskogee Fire Department, Porter Fire Department and the Tullahassee Volunteer Fire Department.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Greg Jennings said the tractor-trailer was a 2007 Peterbilt driven by Willie J. Medellin, 34, of Cookson. He was not injured.

“We believe that the semi was northbound, and he was in the left-hand turn lane to turn west up onto the turnpike,” he said. “When he went to make a left turn, the silver pickup was southbound in the inside lane. The pickup tried to go to his right to avoid the semi, which was already in mid-turn, but they impacted right at the beginning of the entrance ramp.”

The OHP listed the cause of the accident as the tractor-trailer failing to yield to Colwell’s vehicle. Both men were wearing seat belts, and air bags in Colwell’s vehicle did deploy, the report said.



Reach Keith Purtell at 918-684-2925 or Click Here to Send Email

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