Alert Driver a Hero for Quick Response
Movies give us the opportunity to experience situations we hope will never actually happen to us. So, too, this video filmed by a New Jersey motorist Sunday captures a terrifying moment nobody ever wants to face — a tractor-trailer sliding at full speed toward his car. But, like a scene from a Hollywood flick, his life was miraculously spared at the final terrifying second and improbably nobody got hurt.
The amateur videographer, Weijia Jiang, says he pulled off the NJ Turnpike near Exit 9 after noticing several tractor-trailers blocking the highway because of icy conditions. While waiting for the trucks to clear, he began taping the scene on his smartphone. He heard noise behind him and turned toward the back of his car, keeping his video rolling. At fist hazy, then suddenly clearer, the lights of a semi came into focus. An out-of-control truck skidded wildly between lanes, narrowly missing a car in its path and then beelined directly toward Mr. Jiang’s vehicle. Impressively steady-handed, Mr. Jiang kept the video trained on the massive tractor-trailer as it careened toward him.
Within feet of hitting Mr. Jiang’s car, the truck driver managed to steer the big-rig toward the left and ran over a guardrail, coming to rest on the opposite side of the expressway. Mr. Jiang explains that he maintained his nerves of steal because, “I realized that there was really nothing else I could do but hope for divine intervention.”
Importance of Alert Truck Drivers in Emergency Situations
Mr. Jiang credits the truck driver for his decisive actions, saying,
“I really wanted to actually record his heroic act — what he was trying to do — because he was trying to save us all.”
The truck driver’s quick thinking and expert maneuvering meant the
difference between life and death. Had the driver been exhausted from
lack of sleep, this story might have had a very different ending.
Unfortunately, lawmakers relaxed hours of service rules
in the U.S. budget deal negotiations in December. I invite the
legislature to watch this video and to consider, if you were sitting in
Mr. Jiang’s seat, would you want this driver to be tired?
If You Are Involved in an Accident with a Tractor-Trailer
Berenson Law Firm has been handling challenging tractor-trailer
claims for almost 35 years. If you were injured in an 18-wheeler accident,
learn about your options to recovery. You can reach our law firm at 817-885-8000
in the Fort Worth area or at 888-801-8585 from anywhere in the United States.