Local Mother Gets Hit By Light Post While Driving To Pick Up Kids From School

A single mother is counting her blessings after a light post hit her car on Interstate 44.

Friday afternoon, Paula Melendez, was on I-44 near Northwest 23rd Street, looking forward to picking up her kids.

“A light post just fell on my car out of nowhere and it was so fast that the light post was actually what caused the car to stop and then I hit the brakes,” said Melendez.

The light post hitting Melendez’s new Honda Civic caused damage to her passenger side.

Thankfully, she was the only one in the car and came out without a scratch.

“It was such a wakeup call for me because I woke up the next day, I’m going to try not to cry, I woke up the next day and I could have been in the hospital you know? Someone else could have gotten hurt it could have been fatal,” said Melendez.

The light post didn't hit any other car and bounced off the road onto the grass. The single mother of four said after it happened, she immediately called someone to get her kids from school and filed a report with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

“The OHP trooper said he’s never seen anything like this before. He has seen it out on the street if someone wrecks into a post but not anything where out of nowhere it just falls,” said Melendez.

The freak accident has made her slow down and cherish life more.

“Material things come and go, you know, but my life was saved that day and it’s a miracle that I was able to be OK,” she said.

Her car is getting assessed for damages but in the meantime, she is just happy to be spending time with her kids.