Winds flip semi truck, kill elderly driver in Ottawa County

OTTAWA COUNTY, Okla. - High winds resulted in the tragic death of a elderly man in Ottawa County Friday.

The Department of Public Safety announced Friday night that Jimmy King, 70, died after a sudden burst of wind caught his semi's trailer, causing it to flip and land on a cement barrier.

The accident occurred on Will Rogers Turnpike near Afton, Okla. The Miami Fire Department used the Jaws of Life to free King, but after being pinned down for nearly three hours, King was pronounced dead on the scene.

The turnpike was closed for several hours after the crash. Mile marker 315 heading west remains narrowed to one lane.

2News chief meteorologist Dan Threlkeld says winds in the area reached 63 mph.

Three people were also killed in a flattened mobile home in Nowata County, according to a county undersheriff.

At its height, more than 19,000 customers were without power Friday.