Men Being Called Heroes For Helping Drivers In Claremore Crash

Even though it happened last week, the markings from a head-on crash are still visible on Highway 88.

But even when the marks fade, two men say it will be forever ingrained in their memories.

Rick Rimpley and Roger Salisbury are still getting used to their newly found titles. They’re being called heroes after the head-on crash near Claremore.

Erin: “A lot of people are calling you guys, heroes. What do you think about that?"
Salisbury: “I don't…”
Rimpley: “It's weird."

The two long-time Verdigris Valley Electric Cooperative employees were on Highway 88, headed back from a job last Wednesday, around lunchtime, when they pulled up to a bad wreck.

Salisbury said, "I think I asked Ricky, I said, ‘I wonder what's going on down there.’ And you could see some little bit of smoke coming from the cars."

When the two guys rolled up to the accident, one of the cars was on fire, and that's when the fire extinguishers on their truck became lifesavers.

Rimpley and Salisbury jumped into action, putting the fire out and checking on the two teenaged drivers.

The girls hit head on, pinning both in their seats. One was unconscious, the other was panicked; the two men did their best to keep her calm.

"We could tell that she was hurt pretty bad," Salisbury said.

Six minutes after the two men got things under control, firefighters and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol arrived and took over; those six minutes meant the difference between life and death and the fire getting out of control.

Rimpley: "Right place, right time. You know, a minute earlier and it's behind us, a minute later and we're stuck in traffic behind everybody else."
Salisbury: "Hopefully, anybody would have done it. We were just lucky to be there."

The two said it feels really good to know their quick thinking made a difference. They say both girls are said to be in the process of recovering.