Oklahoma – An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper helped stop an intoxicated wrong-way driver traveling against traffic on the Turner Turnpike early Saturday morning after the vehicle struck his patrol car near mile marker 161.
The incident happened around 3:45 a.m. when Trooper Patrick Ball encountered a driver traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of the turnpike.
Trooper Ball activated his emergency lights in an attempt to alert the driver and get him to stop. However, the driver continued traveling at approximately 40 mph and struck the patrol vehicle.
The impact pinned the driver’s vehicle against a wall, preventing it from continuing in the wrong direction and potentially colliding head-on with other motorists.
The driver was transported to a hospital for evaluation before being booked into jail on multiple charges, including driving under the influence (DUI). The Oklahoma Highway Patrol did not identify the driver or specify the full list of charges.
The patrol vehicle sustained damage in the collision, but authorities emphasized that the outcome could have been much worse if the wrong-way driver had continued along the highway.
According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Trooper Ball’s actions helped prevent a potentially serious head-on collision with an unsuspecting motorist and may also have saved the impaired driver’s life.
The agency used the incident to remind motorists about the dangers of driving under the influence, noting that alcohol can impair judgment, slow reaction times and make it difficult for drivers to recognize road signs and respond to warnings.
Wrong-way driving is particularly dangerous because motorists traveling in the correct direction may have little time to react when confronted with an approaching vehicle.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol urged drivers to make responsible decisions and avoid getting behind the wheel after drinking, reminding the public that impaired driving puts everyone on the road at risk.
