'That happening was my sign': Nursing student going to job interview jumps into creek to save driver in rollover crash

A nursing student on her way to a job interview last month jumped into action when she saw a man drive off a bridge and fall 30 feet into a creek.

She jumped into the water to help. 

Mckinzee Farmer ended up being late to that job interview, but says all she was thinking about was getting that driver to safety.

Right place, right time

Mckinzee Farmer was driving on Highway 62 in Okmulgee after leaving her nursing program at lunchtime for a job interview in a new outfit she had just bought. 

"I noticed a truck in front of me. It was swerving all over the road, and so I got on the phone," said Farmer. 

Mckinzee called 911 to report reckless driving, and as she was on the phone, the driver swerved, hit a railing, and went over the bridge, falling 30 feet into the creek below.

The rescue before the official rescue

Mckinzee said she put her car in park and took off running. 

"Before I could register what was happening, I was in the water," said Farmer.

Mckinzee says the driver was still buckled in, and water was filling up the cab of the truck, so she swam to open one of the doors. She says the door was locked, so she had to wait until the driver was able to unlock the door.

"And so, I opened the door. By this time, a young man had joined me in the water, and so whenever I pushed it up, he caught it and was able to hold it open so he could come up and get air," said Farmer. 

During this rescue, Mckinzee said another nurse helped too, and she happens to work at the place Mckinzee was going for the job interview. An off-duty firefighter also stopped to help.

"We're able to get him sitting up on the side of the truck. And then EMS arrives. They throw C collars. I'm swimming to get a C collar, handed it to the nurse. And then by the time they all get there, I'm like, 'Okay, I'm done.'"

Back to business

Mckinzee gave her statement to OHP and went to Walmart to buy some new clothes since she was soaking wet, then she headed to her interview.

"Walking into Walmart and everybody seen me drenched from head to toe was hilarious, because they were all just kind of, what did you do? It hasn't been raining," said Farmer.

When she called the person who was supposed to interview her, they understood why Mckinzee would be late. 

"I just told them that there had been a wreck. I had to help out with it, and I would be there as soon as possible," said Farmer.

Confirmation

She says being a part of this rescue reassured her; she's picked the right career.

"I was really questioning if I have put myself on the right path, and I actually spoke to God about it. And I think that happening was my sign that I am on the right path," said Famer. 

OHP says the good Samaritans who jumped in to help the driver are heroes, and if they weren't there, the driver could've died.

And yes, she did get the job. 

She will graduate from nursing school next month, then after she passes a national nursing exam,  she will start her new job as a licensed practical nurse with The Muscogee Nation. 

The reason for the crash

OHP says the driver admitted to using meth earlier that day and said he looked down at his phone right before he went off the bridge.