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Diver Rodney Peterson and vehicle owner Kevin Chaney walk towards the pond where Chaney's vehicle rests underwater. Chaney and his wife slid into the pond during white out conditions on Christmas eve. Crews were unable to retrieve it Wednesday, but will try again Thursday.
Discussion
SURVIVAL STORY
VERDEN – A Verden husband and wife are lucky to be alive this week after the car they were in careened into a pond north of Verden and submerged during the Christmas Eve snow storm.
Kevin Chaney and his wife, Teresa Stockard, were traveling north on County Line Road when they experienced white out conditions that made it too difficult to drive.
About one mile north of Verden, they turned around their vehicle, but they could not see warning signs as they approached a collapsed bridge.
Chaney said he saw the railing at the last minute and tried to stop, but it was too late. Their car slid up the guardrail and catapulted towards the water. He said it hit a couple of boulders and landed nose first in the water.
The 2007 Ford Fusion rolled onto its top and began to sink. Chaney acted quickly to free himself and Stockard, who is disabled. Chaney wasn't able to retrieve Princess, the couple's 4-year-old Border Collie.
After escaping the car, Chaney ran a quarter-mile to the nearest house. He said he pounded on the door, but nobody answered. In a panic, he broke into the home, which was equipped with an alarm system.
"I've never been happier to hear an alarm go off," he said. "I knew what it was, and I was smiling."
Almost immediately the phone rang. Chaney picked it up and explained to the security company what happened. The company immediately called emergency crews, and within minutes Stockard and Chaney were being treated by EMS from Anadarko.
Stockard has not given up hope on Princess. She has returned to the seen several times to look for her puppy, which has been a source of comfort for her since she lost a daughter a few years ago.
"She still can't sleep," Chaney said. And, he knows that they will have to find their beloved pet before any peace can be felt.
"I just want to get my dog and put it to rest," Chaney said.
Divers Keith Choate and Rodney Peterson were called to find the submerged vehicle. They are sport divers and haven't done underwater salvage work. They spent nearly an hour underwater searching for the vehicle Wednesday, but they did not locate it.
They searched until they ran out of air and later noted that visibility under water was less than 20 inches.
As the sun set, they decided to wait until today to continue their work.
Crews from Johnson's Wrecker in Chickasha brought a crane to lift the vehicle. It is not the first time they have had to fish out a car from under the same bridge. Jimmy Johnson said a drunk driver hit the embankment at a high rate of speed last year and launched himself into the water and died.
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Transformations
What comes to mind when you think of the word, “Transformation”?Do you have fantastic thoughts of people or things changing into something amazing for example, Clark Kent turning into Superman or Bruce Banner becoming the Incredible Hulk or possibly something a little more down to earth like a caterpillar miraculously changing into the beautiful butterfly?
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GRADY COUNTY FAIR RESULTS
Plants
Potted Plants
(Several varieties combined)
First: (Adult) Ann O'Bar
Second: (Adult) Joyce Riker
Third: (Adult) Jallane Link -
AROUND THE AREA
SEPTEMBER 2
Poetry Reading
• When: Sept. 2, 7 p.m.
• Where: Eduardo’s Mexican Restaurant, Private Room, 3127 S. 4th St., Chickasha
• Details: Featured Poet is Carol Hamilton, writer, storyteller and Poet Laureate of Oklahoma 1995-97Hamilton’s website is www.carolhamilton.org. There is no admission fee to attend the Poetry Reading, and refreshments are available for purchase. For more information, contact Rockford Johnson, 224-0160 or 317-7506. -
Duncan nips Chicks for straight-game win
Duncan got their eighth match win of the season Tuesday, beating Nancy Waters’ Lady Chicks in straight games at the Activity Center.
The Chicks looked like they had a little hangover from Monday night’s tough road loss at Tecumseh, coming out flat again and dropping their first two games by identical 25-17 scores.
They came out firing on all eight cylinders for game three, running out to a 15-9 lead on the strength of a 7-0 run with Shelby Crosley serving, but the Demons battled back to tie it late and the Chicks let it slip away, 25-21. -
STATE SPORTS BRIEFS
NORMAN (AP) — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has named walk-on Patrick O'Hara as the starting place-kicker for the seventh-ranked Sooners.
Stoops said on his radio show Tuesday night that O'Hara won the competition with Jimmy Stevens, freshman Michael Hunnicutt and redshirt freshman Bryce Easley. -
OSU's Gundy still learning on job
STILLWATER (AP) — Mike Gundy hasn't lost his love for dialing up the right play to keep Oklahoma State's offense purring along.
That passion, which he has called the most enjoyable part of his job as head coach, was bred into him as an offensive coordinator. And he is a former starting quarterback for the Cowboys. -
Whimsical metal work, jewelry part of big art show at USAO
A showing of whimsical metal work and jewelry is scheduled to be on display at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma during Helen’s Show Sept. 10-Oct 1.
The show will feature the work of USAO graduate Helen Shafer. The exhibition will be open daily during normal business hours in the Davis Hall Third Floor Art Gallery on the USAO campus. The show is free and open to the public. An opening reception is scheduled Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. in the gallery. -
High-speed chase lands 1 in jail
A high-speed motorcycle chase down Highway 81 last Wednesday landed a Ninnekah man in jail and a felony charge of eluding a police officer.
Court records show that James William Hutchins, 21, blew by Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Timothy Parrish at U.S. Highway 81 and County Road 1460 and was clocked going 144 miles per hour in a posted 70 miles per hour zone.
Parrish reported that he was sitting stationary at that location at about 3:45 p.m. on Aug. 25 when he observed a red motorcycle traveling southbound. He engaged his emergency lights and siren and pulled onto the roadway behind the Triumph motorcycle. -
5 inmates denied parole
Parole was recently denied for five Grady County inmates serving sentences with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
The following individuals were denied at the August Pardon and Parole Board meeting:
• Jeremiah Daniel Cline, who is serving a five-year sentence for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance and a five-year sentence for possession of a controlled dangerous substance, began his sentence in August 2008.
• Warren P. Diego, who is serving a 15-year sentence (10 years PTS) for lewd molestation, began his sentence in February 2009. -
Judge recuses herself from pharmacy case
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A state district judge has stepped aside from the first-degree murder trial of a pharmacist accused in the fatal shooting of an unconscious would-be robber.
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Transformations
