Oklahoma City woman dies when car slides off highway into river

Monday, January 19th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Wesley Hollingsworth says wishes he could have done more to save a woman whose car slid off the interstate into the chilly waters of the North Canadian river Friday evening.

The woman, 27-year-old Tameka Patterson, died in the water. But Hollingsworth was able to save 7-year-old Deondre Patterson.

Twenty-three-year-old Hollingsworth jumped into the chilly water and pulled the boy out. The boy was revived at the scene and is in critical condition in an Oklahoma City hospital.

Hollingsworth, is a petty officer third class with V-Q-3 naval squadron at Tinker Air Force Base.

Hollingsworth says he searched the car for the woman's body, but couldn't find her.

Exhaustion and cold made it feel like his arms and legs had stopped working.

The Norman resident had competed on his high school swim team in Arkansas.