Three killed in crash with turkey truck

Thursday, November 25th 2004, 5:20 pm

By: News On 6

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) _ Three people have died after their car collided with a tractor-trailer carrying 11,000 pounds of frozen turkeys, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Thursday.

Harold Wiseman, Joanne Wiseman and Mable Knackmus _ all of West Salem, Ill., _ were killed after their 1993 Oldsmobile failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Oklahoma 10 and U.S. 62 at 6:10 p.m. Wednesday, the highway patrol said.

The car then ran under the semi's trailer and the truck in turn ran over the car, Aaron Gower, a passenger in the semi, told the Muskogee Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat.

``There was nothing we could do about it,'' said Gower, of Park Hill. ``It was like they didn't even know there was a stop sign.''

Gower and Bert Osburn, 23, of Stilwell, driver of the semi, were not injured.

Leon Sparks, the owner of the truck, said it was hauling 11,000 pounds of frozen turkeys. Sparks said the truck was headed west on U.S. 62 when the car hit behind truck's fuel tanks.

All three passengers in the southbound car were pinned for about two hours and were pronounced dead at the scene.