McAlester officer injured in head-on collision identified, remains in critical condition
Two people were taken to the hospital after a crash involving an Oklahoma Department of Corrections van in Lexington.
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — The McAlester Police Department says one of its own remains in critical condition following a Friday evening accident.
Officer Joseph Lee Barlow, 25, was escorting a funeral procession southbound on Highway 75 when his vehicle was struck.
The driver, Martin Rivas Rodriguez, crossed the center median and metal barrier and struck the McAlester officer's car head-on.
Officers ran Rodriguez's information through dispatch and found he had no valid driver's license.
Rodriguez was treated on the scene and refused medical attention. The passenger in his truck
Officer Barlow had to be extracted from the patrol car and was transported to a Tulsa hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries attempting to save his life.
Police say Rodriguez remains in custody Saturday morning after being booked into jail with charges of causing an accident without a driver's license, causing great bodily injury, driving without a license, and reckless driving.
