OHP Trooper, Turnpike Workers Recount Saving Mother, Infant From Submerged Car

<p>&ldquo;I was approximately five to six miles away at the time, so I was able to get there pretty quickly,&rdquo; said Trooper Matt White.&nbsp;</p>

Wednesday, September 19th 2018, 7:50 pm

By: News 9


“I was approximately five to six miles away at the time, so I was able to get there pretty quickly,” said Trooper Matt White.

Trooper Matt White received a call from the dispatcher saying there was a partially submerged vehicle off of the Turner Turnpike.

Rushing to the scene, he saw a woman in dire need of help.

“Through the windshield I was able to see the driver. She had her hands and arms slouched up over the steering wheel, head down, she was not moving. Unsure whether she was injured,” said Trooper White.

That's when Patrick Goggin and Randy Pierce arrived, who are Oklahoma Turnpike Authority maintenance workers.

The three men acted fast.

When they got in the water, it was up to their chests.

“Once we started walking in the water, the mom raised her head up. And we started talking. She was panicking. She advised me that she had a baby on board. And we realized we had to get there right away,” Trooper White said.

They busted out a back window, and the mother was able to crawl into the back seat to grab the infant.

They were able to help both mom and child out of the car safely. The two were then taken to the nearest hospital, where they were treated and released.

“I don't think you ever expect a call like this. This isn’t what you expect just on a normal routine day. I just want to say a special thanks to the OTA workers. It's not in their job description to perform water rescues, and they never hesitated,” Trooper White said.

OHP and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority are continuing to investigate the cause of the accident.

But without Trooper White and OTA workers Pierce and Goggin, the outcome could have looked a lot different.

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