That same day he obtained $464.26 worth of provisions from an Army surplus store in neighboring Fort Smith, Arkansas, by telling store employees that he was an Army captain who needed the supplies for the rescue effort. On May 28, 2002, he obtained the use of several motel rooms in Van Buren, Arkansas, by representing that he was an Army captain and assuring motel management that other government officials would pay the tab, which eventually totaled $900. "After a briefcase belonging to an actual Army captain was recovered from the river, Defendant took possession of it and contacted the officer's widow on multiple occasions. Here's a run-down of what else this impersonator did: William James Clark, went further with his claim of command. He also, according to the case of United States of America v. Army Captain took command of part of the emergency scene, including recovery of items and personal effects of the victims from the river. What happened next was an amazing lesson in incident command and control.Ī guy named William James Clark showed up wearing an Army uniform and impersonating a U.S. The bridge collapsed into the river and over a dozen people died. “It's just part of our history now.Almost a decade ago, a tugboat captain pushing a barge on the Arkansas River lost control of his vessel and struck the bridge support for Interstate 40 near the town of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma. “I’m sure we’ll be looking at it,” Cole said. Coincidentally, Cole’s 50-year high school graduation reunion will take place at the park in June. The bridge collapse is now a part of Webbers Falls.Ī monument to those lost was erected in Webbers Falls City Park a year after the collapse. 'Very surreal, tragic time': ODOT spokeswoman remembers 2002 Webbers Falls bridge collapse Gone but not forgotten: Former mayor to host memorial in honor of Webbers Falls bridge tragedy “The real heroes are those fishermen that pulled that trucker out of the water and those divers that had to go down and do other recovery,” Cole said. Barton was then able to rescue another driver, James Bilyeu, from the river. Barton said Wilhoit and another fisherman, Kirk Washburn, then sprung to action and pulled truck driver Rodney Tidwell from the water. In a 2002 interview with CNN, bass fisherman Norman Barton credited angler Alton Wilhoit with firing the flare. One fisherman had fired a flare into the sky, potentially alerting drivers to the danger and allowing them to stop in time. Bodies continued to be recovered for four days.Ĭole talked to other bystanders and later learned of the rescue efforts by law enforcement and the fishermen he had seen that morning on his way to work. In total, 14 people died and 11 were injured. “I think he had to hotwire the car.”īut in an instant, those fond memories were replaced by tragedy. “I don’t think he found them,” Cole said with a chuckle. His dad dove to the river bottom over and over searching fruitlessly. He recalls one fishing trip where his father’s keys slipped from his pocket and into the water. Cole said the current didn’t use to be so strong. And he grew up fishing for catfish here with his father, who would paddle an old rowboat out into the river to set up trout lines. He and some friends water-skied here after graduating from high school. You just always wish there was something you could have done.”Ĭole knew this stretch of the river well. And the water was swift, it was really moving.
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