In Oklahoma a vehicle accident involving a car or truck and a cow, pig or horse is not unusual.
This weekend a Henryetta policeman was involved in an animal-vehicle crash but this one had a twist.
Henryetta Lieutenant Matt Duke was responding to a call for assistance from Okmulgee County Sheriff’s deputies when his vehicle struck an Asian water buffalo.
According to reports, Duke was going east on the New Lake Road when he topped a hill and saw the animal in his traffic lane. He was able to swerve and avoid a head-on collision but the animal struck the right front of the patrol vehicle causing major damage. Duke was not injured in the crash.
He said the water buffalo had apparently escaped form a ranch just off the New Lake Road.
That was not the only accident that occurred because of the original call for help.
Two Okmulgee County officers in separate vehicles were on their way to investigate a report of shots being fired in the Jim Hall Lake area.One of the officers started to turn onto a roadway leading to the call when his vehicle was struck by the trailing deputy’s car.
Neither officer received injuries in that accident according to county sheriff Eddy Rice.
A subsequent investigation into the shooting call revealed several people were camping when an individual threw some bullets into a campfire. When the bullets exploded, a person received minor injuries.
That was the third shooting incident over the weekend.
A party north of Okmulgee involved guns and alcohol and resulted in the death of an 18-year-old woman. One person, Marcus Patterson was arrested for second degree murder.
Another incident involving guns happened within the Okmulgee city limits. Officers are still investigating that case.