Troopers Believe Pryor Man Died After Hydroplaning Into Flooded Ditch

Flooding rains are likely what led to the death of an elderly Pryor man.

Troopers believe Eldon 'Odell' Blackwell hydroplaned before crashing into a flooded ditch Sunday; it rained more than three inches that evening.

It rained so much the night Odell Blackwell went missing that the ditch his car was found in was full of water. About two days later, when the water started to recede, Blackwell's car was spotted.

Elliot Street is one of Pryor Creeks' busier roads - it intersects with Pryor Creek just outside of town.

“I grew up here, so I've been up and down this road a million times,” said resident Jimmy Trundle.

Trundle said it’s the same road the 75-year-old Blackwell was on late Sunday night. Troopers said Blackwell was headed to Walmart to buy Christmas decorations.

12/15/2015 Related Story: Body Of Missing Mayes County Man Found In Submerged Car

Blackwell never made it to the store, and he never made it back home, prompting a Silver Alert to be issued Monday.

“Oh, very good guy, yeah,” Trundle said. “He worked with my dad, that's how I really know him.”

Trundle said word traveled fast that Blackwell had vanished; everyone in town was looking for him, and Trundle, of course, never expected he'd actually find the missing man.

“The water had just started to recede a little bit,” he said.

Trundle said part of Elliot Street was closed Monday due to flooding. Then, Tuesday afternoon, as he drove to pick his son up from school, he spotted something in the culvert on the other side of the creek.

“It was to my left and I could kind of see something shiny and I could tell it was the top part of a car,” he said.

He called the police, picked up his son and then drove back by.

“You could see all the lights and cars and they had the road blocked off...knew what it was,” Trundle said.

It was Blackwell's car, submerged in water with his body was inside.

Troopers believe Blackwell hydroplaned and crashed into the ditch full of water.

Trundle said, when Blackwell crashed, he was about halfway to Walmart and only a mile and half from home.

“I'm glad they found the car and they're not looking for him, but it's a terrible ending,” he said.