Highway patrolman rescues Leawood man after rollover crash

LEAWOOD, Kan. - Raymond Hyatt was pinned underneath the driver seat of his Ford Expedition after being run off the road by an oncoming tractor trailer.

The Leawood man was heading to Tulsa, Okla., with his friend Bogart Sauza. The two were south of Nowata, Okla., when they were run off the road.

"We looked up and there was a truck coming straight at us," Hyatt said. "My friend said 'hold on.' We rolled over four times."

The SUV landed on its side in a ditch filled with water. Hyatt was not wearing his seatbelt and was trapped with his head near the brake pedal.

"My SUV was taking on water, and it covered my ears, my head, my eyes," Hyatt said. "I just thought I was going to die."

Sauza was able to escape from the car, so he called police.

Oklahoma Highway patrolman Scott Shropshire was two miles away and was the first to the scene.

"I jumped in and grabbed his head," Shropshire said. "I just did what needed to be done."

"He said, 'you're OK. I'm here. I got your head,'" Hyatt said. "He managed to keep my mouth out of the water."

Shropshire had to stand on one leg with his head pinned up against the SUV for 15 minutes before firefighters arrived.

Crews tried cutting Hyatt free but ran into a problem.
Hyatt's left leg is a prosthetic and was stuck in the roof of the car. It took firefighters 30 minutes to pull Hyatt to safety.
Hyatt's wife Myra could not be more grateful.

"I don't think [Shropshire] realizes what a wonderful thing he did and how truly grateful I am because my husband's all I have," Myra said.

Hyatt has several cuts and bruises and still has pieces of glass in his eye. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Shropshire said the driver the tractor trailer did not stop.