A Tulsa firefighter shared his story Wednesday after escaping death in a roadside collision.
Tulsa Fire Department spokesperson Andy Little said a Highway 75 car accident should’ve been a routine call. But then, a little before 9 p.m. Sunday, came the elements.
“The freezing rain had just turned to ice,” Little said.
Cody Stephenson of Fire Station #10 said he had no time to react.
“My partner and I were standing in the front,” he recalled. “We never saw it coming.”
“This truck came in and hit the car we were attending to and shoved it into us,” he continued. “Next thing you know, we’re on the embankment on the side of the highway, and I’m looking down at my partner – who got thrown a lot further than I was.”
“I mean, they narrowly escaped being killed,” Little added.
But Stephenson’s first instinct was selflessness. His thoughts turned to his partner, Jordan Blount.
“I looked around and saw him,” Stephenson said. “He was about 25, 30 feet down the hill from me. And I tried to get down to him as fast as I could and make sure he was okay.”
“Think of it as if it was one of your family members out there working on the side of the road,” Little explained.
“You become a part of their lives and they become a part of yours,” Stephenson said. “It’s almost natural instinct.”
Both men were taken to the hospital. Stephenson was released a few hours later, while Blount had to stay overnight.
“He’s not super mobile at the moment,” Little said. “It may be a little while before he comes back to work.”
Stephenson, however, will be re-evaluated by a doctor Monday to see if he’s fit to return. He said he’s talked to Blount every day since the accident.
NewsChannel 8 asked Stephenson about the first thing he’ll do when he sees Blount again.
“Tell him, ‘Let’s not do that again,’” he said with a smirk.
Stephenson said it won’t happen again – provided people slow down and move over for first responders on the side of the road.
“Icy streets or dry, it could happen anytime or anywhere, and it could be potentially fatal,” he asserted.
“You can’t always see that freezing rain on the ground,” Little said. “You can’t always see that black ice. And if you’re driving at excessive speeds, you’re not going to be able to stop.”
Little said the fire department will accommodate any mental health concerns associated with the firefighters returning to work.
“The next time they’re working a wreck on the side of the highway and there’s bad weather, what do you think they’re going to be thinking about?” he asked. “For months after they return, if they’re in a similar situation, it’ll be unnerving.”
Stephenson said he walked away with road rashes, muscle pains, and injuries to his chest, back, elbow, and foot. He described the accident as a learning experience. After all, he’s only seven and a half months into the job.
“It could’ve easily been a lot worse,” he admitted. “It could’ve been a career-ender. It could’ve been a life-ender.”
“I would not want to go through this again,” he added, “but there is something positive to at least take from it.”