Sledding accident leads to delicate rescue of Oklahoma City teen

OKAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – An evening sledding leads to terrifying moments and a complicated rescue in Oklahoma City. 

A teenager was left pinned under a truck as firefighters worked carefully to free him. 

On a brutally cold winter’s night – a dire situation on an Oklahoma City soccer field. 

“Unfortunately, a teenage child had been sledding in that field, we were told, and somehow ended up underneath the rear axle in the rear differential of this pickup,” said Batt. Chief Benny Fulkerson with the Oklahoma City Fire Department. “He was precariously pinned in such a way that the rear differential was actually on his chest and he was having a hard time breathing.”

Fire crews at the Crossroads Sports Complex had to call in for extra help. 

OKCFD’s technical rescue unit rushed to the scene to aid in this delicate effort to move the pickup off the teen on an icy slope. 

“We didn’t want to cause further injury to the to the child by the vehicle shifting in any way,” Fulkerson said. “So we knew that we had to in order to free him, we were going to have to lift the vehicle straight up.” 

Sledding accidents have been far too common in Oklahoma’s recent winter weather. 

This comes just weeks after a child was killed by a hit and run driver while sledding in Broken Arrow.  

Safety experts from AAA and OU Health ask parents to remind their children to always sled away from moving and stationary vehicles as well as other obstacles like trees and poles.  

Child safety experts at OU Health also ask families to avoid pulling a sled behind a car or ATV because sleds will not brake like the vehicles – and could potentially slide into the back of them.

Firefighters say the teen in this most recent incident was stable and talking when he was rushed to the hospital.  

“We’re hopeful that he’ll be okay,” Fulkerson said.