Two women die in bizarre highway mishap

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ Two women who had passed out in a car were later killed when the car burst into flames following a bizarre series of events, police said. <br><br>Tulsa firefighters and an ambulance

Sunday, December 30th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ Two women who had passed out in a car were later killed when the car burst into flames following a bizarre series of events, police said.

Tulsa firefighters and an ambulance responded Saturday to reports of two women passed out in a car. They found the car, its engine running and in gear, near the Creek Turnpike in south Tulsa about 4:40 a.m., Police Officer Lucky Lamons said.

Firefighters could see the two women, ``one behind the driver's side and the passenger passed out with her head on the driver's lap,'' inside the car, Lamons said. A bottle of wine was between the passenger's legs, he said.

Firefighters placed blocks under the car's tires to prevent it from moving. But at that point, ``the driver woke up suddenly and floored it, driving the car over the blocks,'' Lamons said.

Police said the car entered the turnpike and then exited at a high rate of speed. It left the road, went through a field and hit a retaining wall before flipping over and bursting into flames, police said.

Both the driver, Rebecca Wood, 33, of Tulsa, and the passenger were pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger remained unidentified Saturday night.