Driver Uses Box Truck To Protect Crash Victims On I-5
A box truck driver likely saved lives on Friday after a pickup violently crashed during a storm on California’s I-5.
Storm Causes Dangerous Low Visibility Conditions On I-5
Heavy rain made it almost impossible to see as driver Albert Gonzalez was traveling along I-5 to Castaic on Friday.
That’s when Gonzales came across a pickup truck that had crashed and flipped upside down on the interstate.
Gonzales slowed and saw several people running toward the pickup to try to help the crash victims. He said that he quickly realized that in the pouring rain with low visibility, both the crash victims and the Good Samaritans were in danger of being hit on the busy interstate.
Driver Shields Crash Victims And Rescuers With Box Truck
That’s when Gonzales took action. He said, “I just jumped in there and blocked those lanes for the safety of the other people and myself. I blocked it until the highway patrol got there.”
The Good Samaritans were able to extract two people from the pickup. They had only minor injuries and declined medical treatment. Gonzales and the Good Samaritans directed traffic on the interstate until CHP arrived on the scene.
Veteran California Highway Patrol officer Michelle Bond mentioned that truck drivers are quick to offer assistance in emergencies: “I’ve actually had truckers jump out of their trucks and give me tie-cables and help me move refrigerators out of traffic lanes. In my 17 years I’ve had a lot of people help.”
Truck driver’s quick action helped prevent tragedy on 5 Freeway during storm https://t.co/i1W0Bxt0pL pic.twitter.com/yIv6nEt9PJ
— Angelo Stieber (@AStieberM) February 21, 2017
Sources:
Los Angeles Daily News