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Midwest City, Okla. Firefighter Laid to Rest Jim Clark Died After Interstate Crash
Updated: Wednesday, August 11, 1999 - 8:30 pm
Condolences: Post them Online
By Dave J. Iannone
Firefighters from throughout the region attended funeral services for Midwest
City, Oklahoma firefighter Jim Clark, who lost his three-day battle for life on
Sunday afternoon following a bizarre chain-reaction crash Thursday night along a
rain-soaked interstate.
Clark, 41, was struck by an out-of-control car
while operating at the scene of a vehicle accident. He had been in a coma since the
accident suffering from multiple trauma, including critical head injuries, at the Midwest Regional Medical Center.
Family and fellow firefighters from the Midwest City Fire Department
had been keeping vigil at the hospital.
Clark, a 15-year-veteran, and Firefighter Steve Shipman were on the scene of a motor vehicle accident on
Interstate 40 at about 7:20 p.m. Thursday when a bizarre string of freak accidents
occurred.
Shipman, who suffered multiple injuries, had been listed in serious condition until
Saturday morning at which time he was upgraded to fair condition. Shipman, 42, a Driver/Firefighter,
has been with the Midwest City department for 14 years. He, as well as the city's other
90 firefighters, attended the funeral services.
"He's up and around," Lojka said. "He's just hoping to get better and get back."
Ladder and Squad 2 were dispatched to the single car crash - a car that had hydroplaned
on the rain-slicken westbound road - but arrived to find no injuries,
Lojka said.
Due to the poor weather conditions, both units remained on the scene to await the police.
As firefighters from Ladder two waited inside their unit, a second car lost control and
slammed into the back of the rear-mount truck, Lojka said.
"The crew exited the ladder and went back to the rear of the truck to see how
bad the accident was," Lojka said. The female driver of the car was complaining
of pain in her ankle, so firefighters removed her from the car and took her to what
was hoped to be a safer location between the Ladder and concrete barrier
between the east- and west-bound lanes of the Interstate, he said.
"While they started to work on her, another vehicle came around the curb and lost
control ... it spun and did at least two, possibly three 360's," Lojka said.
To avoid being hit by that car, the Ladder Company's captain, already walking up the highway to urge vehicles to slow
down approaching the accident scene, dove over the center concrete barrier into
the east-bound lanes. The car just missed him.
"This all happened in an instant," Lojka said.
Another firefighter dove over the wall just before the car hit Shipman, who
went airborne over the wall into oncoming traffic. The other firefighter,
who was not immediately identified, pulled Shipman back "as quickly as possible"
out of east-bound traffic.
The car proceeded to spin and ended up backwards, slamming into the space
between the Ladder and the divider wall, striking Clark and the female victim directly.
Both were thrown 20 to 30 feet, according to Lojka, and came to rest in front of the
ladder truck.
The remaining Squad and Ladder crews begin to aid the victims when a third
car hit the car that has already struck the rear of the ladder truck.
The drivers of the last two cars both suffered minor injuries and were treated and released
from area hospitals.
The woman who collided with the Ladder truck suffered multiple injuries and was upgraded from serious to fair condition
late Friday.
Clark was originally given a good prognosis but neurologists found
more critical problems. Surgery was performed Friday morning to alleviate some of
the swelling and repair damage in his brain.
Midwest City is an all-paid department with about 100 personnel in supression
and prevention operating out of five stations.
"In the 54 years of our department, this is the worst incident in our history," Lojka quoted
Fire Chief Mike Bower as saying at the hospital Friday afternoon.
A funeral service for friends and family of Jim Clark will be 7 p.m. Tuesday at the St. Philip Neri Catholic Church.
Public memorial services for Clark will be held at the Rose State College Communications Center
on Wednesday, August 11th at 10 a.m.
A Memorial Fund has been established for Clark's family, which includes a wife and
teenage daughter. Contributions can be sent to:
Cards may be sent to the victims in care of the fire department to:
Ed Note: Firehouse.Com will continue to follow this story and provide updates as needed
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Title Photo Credit: USFA