By Krystal J. Carman
December 16, 2008 — Lucy is one lucky pooch.
Not only did she survive a rollover accident along the Will Rogers Turnpike Monday afternoon, but she is being cared for by the Rogers County Emergency Management team until her owners can retrieve her.
“She’s a good dog,” EM Deputy Director Susie Rains said. “We’re going to keep her until her mommy and daddy can come pick her up.”
The accident occurred around 1:15 p.m. Monday at mile marker 263 on the turnpike. According to EM Director Bob Anderson, the couple from South Dakota were driving a Ford pickup pulling a travel trailer in the outside lane, which still had icy patches.
“A semi passed them and the tailwind caught their pickup and trailer and rolled them off the highway,” Anderson said. “The couple lived in that travel trailer, so they pretty much lost everything.”
Anderson said emergency crews busted out the windshield of the truck, which had landed on its side, to rescue the couple and their pooch.
“Momma had a hold of Lucy on her lap when we got to them,” he said. “We got the woman out first and took Lucy, then we got the husband out and they were Life Flighted to Tulsa.”
Usually, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol takes animals left behind in an accident to the dog pound to hold until the owners are able to pick them up. However, Rains said she couldn’t let that happen this time.
“I offered to take Lucky and hold onto her until they come back,” she said. “As soon as I saw her I said, ‘she’s not going to the pound.’”
The condition of the couple was not known, but Anderson said their injuries did not appear to be life threatening.
