Mom remembers saying goodbye to family, unsure she would survive OSU parade crash

By Abigail Ogle

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    STILLWATER, Okla. (KOCO) — Dr. Diana Rodriguez Coca came from Colombia to the U.S. as a distinguished Fulbright Scholar to pursue her PhD. in industrial engineering at Oklahoma State University.

On Oct. 24, 2015, Coca and her family were along the homecoming parade route when a driver crashed into the crowd.

“I just heard this horrible noise,” Coca remembers. “I thought it was like a bomb or an explosion.”

When Coca turned her head, she saw a car coming full speed at her. Coca knew she had to think fast to protect her young son while bracing herself for possible impact.

The driver hit her, badly hurting her. Coca was concerned for her son, who suffered a few scratches.

She then started feeling a lot of pain in her back, later learning she had broken her back. Crews took Coca from the scene by ambulance, but no one knew how severe her internal injuries were until she got to the hospital.

Coca was then flown to another hospital, and at that point, she didn’t know she was going to survive. She told KOCO 5 that she kissed her loved ones and said her goodbyes, not knowing whether she would see them again.

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