Officials: Good Samaritans rescue children involved in multi-vehicle cars on Kentucky interstate

Published 8:59 am Monday, March 1, 2021

Officials are praising the efforts of several Good Samaritans who reduced two children from the wreckage of a multi-vehicle accident on a Kentucky interstate Sunday.

WPSD in Paducah reports that the McCracken County Sheriff’s department said in a release that people on Interstate 24 in McKracken County stopped to help remove the children from the car that become partially lodged under a tractor-trailer Sunday morning. The driver of the car and an adult passenger had to be removed from the car with mechanical tools.

According to the news release, 42-year-old Dennis Omaywa, of Minnesota, was driving a tractor-trailer in the Eastbound lane Sunday morning. A car in front of Omaywa began to hydroplane and lost control. Omaywa was then forced to stop abruptly to avoid hitting the car.

A Dodge passenger car behind Omaywa, also unable to stop, then ran into Omaywa’s tractor-trailer,  becoming partially lodged under the trailer.

The sheriff’s department said 28-year old Carson Godfrey, of Metropolis, was driving the Dodge car with 26-year-old Kalli Chapman, 1-year-old Jackson Chapman and 3-year-old Emery Chapman.

Thanks to the efforts of Good Samaritans on the interstate the children were rescued from the car before emergency personnel arrived.  The sheriff’s department said the children were not injured.

Godfrey and Kalli Chapman were both taken to the hospital for their injuries. Chapman was taken to an out-of-state hospital shortly after.

Omaywa, and the car that hydroplaned in front of him, were not injured.