Midstate couple beat the odds after 66 years — and a near-fatal crash

CARLISLE, Pa. (WHTM) -- Today is Valentine's Day and, the saying goes, "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger." A Midstate couple didn't plan to test that idea when they were struck head-on by a drunk driver, then beat the odds together with some remarkably parallel experiences. Esther and Dick Ocker met not far from Carlisle -- in August of 1957 at the Carlisle Fair. "We were married in December of 1959," Esther said. "Three children, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren," Dick said. Then, another unforgettable date. "June 29, 2024," Esther said. "It was on a Saturday." "We were headed home from a funeral. We just entered a slight curve up above Newville and all of a sudden, smash," Dick said. "We were hit head-on by a drunk driver." "He's in Camp Hill right now in prison," Dick said of the driver. "He'll be there for five years." They were rescued by local first responders and flown to an area hospital. It's no exaggeration to say their kids almost had to plan two more funerals. "The doctor told them, go home and get the will out and the power of attorney," Esther said. They beat those odds. This is, however, a long and painful story. They remember the first time they saw each other at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. "We reached out and held hands, that was the best we could do," Dick said. But then, an infection, and an amputation. "It was a terrible blow to me now. I'm a runner, I coach and run track and field," Dick said. He lost his right leg and she lost her left leg. Then, recovery and rehab, eventually at UPMC Carlisle. "It was wonderful there," Esther said. "We're very close together there," And now, at home, "We've had a lot of changes in our home," Dick said. "We just have to plan more," Dick added "It takes us longer to get dressed, and so we start early for church. I can't shovel snow or mow my lawn and all those things I love to do and she would take care of flowers." "We've always been very close, we shop together, vacation together, go to sporting events together. and now we're really together," he continued. "All the kids would come home for dinner, every Sunday night," Dick said. "But now they do things for us. We'd be lost without them." A lesson, they said, to take care of your children. "I think when you go through something like this, you're better able to be a witness to somebody who's struggling," Dick said. The couple added that the phrase "Drive carefully" adds special meaning now, as well.