San Antonio police say that a truck driver’s quick thinking likely saved numerous lives during yesterday’s foggy pileup on I-37.
There were no serious injuries reported in yesterday’s series of chain reaction crashes involving at least two semis and numerous passenger vehicles caused by fog and speeding.
But it could have been a very different story.
Trucker Ismael Hernandez was on a run from San Juan to San Antonio when he came upon the I-37 pileup.
Hernandez was able to spot the crashes through the dense fog and made a quick decision.
San Antonio Police Department Captain Chris Benavides told reporters, “The driver of the big rig, he chose instead of ramming into several cars, he took the median and probably did save a number of lives.”
In taking the median, Hernandez nearly struck a highway pillar.
Motorist Lynn Kelm praised Hernandez for his actions: “He would have pushed us from way back there up under this bridge and there would have been some fatalities. So he is a hero today. He’s a long-haul truck driver and he’s a hero.”
Trucker’s quick thinking on I-37 saves lives after 30-vehicle crash – @AleseU has more from the scene: https://t.co/APBffSvZSB pic.twitter.com/vlWUVh0foS
— Spectrum News Austin (@SpecNewsATX) February 1, 2017
Sources:
TWC News