Early Friday morning, on December 14th, 2018, TAPD Officers Richard Conkleton and Dylan McCrary were traveling from Texarkana to the Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA) in Camden, Arkansas, for graduation after 13 weeks of training.
On their journey, at 6:30 a.m., as the Officers entered Ouachita County on HWY 278 West, they observed a small vehicle off the roadway in a large culvert. Due to the weather conditions, heavy downpour rains and flooding, it was extremely difficult to see the vehicle from the roadway. Officers approached the vehicle and determined a female was trapped inside, unable to get out from mud and water pushing on the doors. While Officer McCrary worked on getting the woman out of the vehicle, Officer Conkleton drove down the road to search for cell phone service to call 911 for assistance. Eventually officers were able to get the woman out the vehicle safely, where she was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries.
Due to the officers attention to detail by observing a barely visible vehicle in a ditch with rising water off the roadway and in the pouring rain, they were able to assist a female that without there help may have been a grave situation.
Once Ouachita County Sherriff arrived on scene, the officers continued their journey to ALETA, where they were able to clean up and graduate on time.
