October 26, 2021
By News Director Jared Atha
A three vehicle accident late Saturday night on Interstate 40 in Beckham County put two people in the hospital.
As a result, part of I-40 had to be closed for just over three and a half hours to allow crews to clean up the scene.
According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol the accident occurred at approximately 8:31 Saturday night in the westbound lanes of I-40, 8 miles west of Elk City when the 2006 Cadillac Escalade driven by 83-year-old Nicholas Kollias of Valenica, California was struck from behind by a 2022 Freightliner with a trailer driven by 29-year-old Daniel Gamboa of Fresno, California.
OHP says the Cadillac was hauling a trailer and traveling 40 miles per hour at the time of the collision.
As a result, OHP says the Cadillac departed the road to the left and rolled into the cable barrier. The Freightliner would also depart to the let and jack knife after striking the cable barrier.
A third vehicle, a 2020 Freightliner, would strike the debris strung out on the interstate, causing damage to the vehicle’s undercarriage.
OHP says the driver of the Cadillac, Kollias, was transported to Great Plains Regional Medical Center in Elk City and admitted with head, trunk, arm, and leg injuries – last listed to be in stable condition. A passenger, 72-year-old Olga Kollias was also admitted into GPRMC with an arm injury – last listed to be in stable condition.
Copyright 2021 Paragon Communications. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.
