VERA, Okla. -- It was a shocking scene in Vera Thursday morning when a car was pulled from a creek and revealed a woman dead inside.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said 18-year-old Nikki Winton was driving a 1995 Honda Civic along 3900 Road when she failed to make the curve.
They said she slammed into a tree then plummeted into a nearby creek.
Firefighters say a driver noticed the car in the creek around 8 a.m. Thursday morning.
The Owens and Company Volunteer Fire Department was first on scene and were later joined by the Washington County Sheriff's Office and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
They say they didn't discover Winton's body until crews began pulling the car out of the water.
Fire Chief Todd Owens says it was a difficult call for his crews to respond to.
“In this job, you try to prepare for everything. And it kinda starts from the kind of call so when you get that initial call of a car off into the water, you're not expecting something so tragic...you know, you don't have time to get that mindset,” he said.
He described 3900 Road as a dangerous one because of large tree and sharp turns.
He said it was underwater for several days because of recent flooding.
Now firefighters are focused on those affected.
“That makes it hard for everybody involved. You know, you always wish for a better outcome. And our sympathy definitely goes out to the family,” said Owens.
First responders are urging drivers in the area to go slow through the intersection.
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