SEQUOYAH COUNTY, Okla. — An off-duty Sequoyah County deputy saved a life after pulling someone from a burning vehicle on July 31, and now he's speaking out about the experience.
The Sequoyah County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) said dispatch received a report of a single-vehicle crash on Highway 64, just outside of Muldrow city limits.
Off-duty deputy Daniel Whitus located the vehicle as it began to catch fire. He tells 5NEWS it "had to have been within minutes of when the wreck happened."
Whitus noted that the driver was in and out of consciousness and safely removed him from the vehicle before it was engulfed in flames.
"I went and got my knife from my unit and went down there and cut a seat belt to get him out. Ended up dragging him out," Whitus said.
William Jenkins said he had woken up to a regular morning on Wednesday before learning the news that his dad, Earl, had been rescued from his truck, narrowly escaping a fire.
"Get up, kiss my wife, go to work, and then I head out and start my day out. And around 11, I get a text message," William said.
William said he had entered the military and then moved out to New York after living with his family. He said he stays in touch with his family in Sequoyah County, especially his dad.
"I get a message saying, you know, my father was in a one-vehicle accident, severe accident, and he's being transported to First Baptist," he said.
Jenkins said he had a close family friend go to the scene of the crash to describe what had happened. Both he and Whitus explained that the car had veered off Highway 64 before it hit a culvert down below. Earl's truck came a stop above the hill next to the culvert, with flames growing from the engine bay.
Muldrow police say they had arrived at the scene as Whitus had pulled out Earl from the truck. They explained that they had to pull Earl further away from the truck as the blaze grew, despite seeing many injuries on him.
"I knew that something needed to be done. I mean, get them away from the truck, because you just never know what's going to happen," Whitus said.
"Deputy Whitus’s heroic actions and disregard for his own safety, most definitely saved this man’s life," SCSO said.
William said he's extremely thankful, living more than a day's drive from his hometown. He's also expecting a baby any day now which has him split between staying in New York and coming to visit his father. He explained that his family was still struggling after the death of their brother last year. He knows they were saved from any more tragedy by a deputy who continued to protect and serve even off duty.
"Words would not be enough to thank him, words would not be enough," William said. "I hope he gets recognition for it because that's the type of people we need in the police force."
William said his family is asking for privacy while Earl recovers. He said at the time of the interview with 5NEWS that his father was due for a neck surgery and that he's in a stable but critical condition. If you'd like to assist the family with their medical expenses, you can visit their fundraiser through GoFundMe. Though, he says any thoughts and prayers are more than enough.
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