A man trapped underneath a semi truck in New York yesterday was not only miraculously fine but was also able to record his own extraction using his phone.
The incident began around 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 26, in Watervliet, New York.
Firefighters say that they were dispatched to a location on I-787 for an overturned semi truck with a sports car driven by 28 year old Jelani Reyes-Craig trapped underneath.
Watervliet Fire Department Lieutenant Jim Strock told WFLA that when he arrived on the scene, he thought that there was little chance that Reyes-Craig was still alive:
Survivability rate on this is zero. No way is this guy alive. Then they said, ‘He’s talking.’ I’m like, no way. I go around the car and I yell in ‘Hey bud.’ He goes ‘Dude, can you take my picture? This is unbelievable.’ And I’m like, what.
Firefighters learned that Reyes-Craig had cut himself out of his seatbelt and had maneuvered over to the passenger side to give himself more room. He also took out his phone and recorded his own rescue.
Remarkably Reyes-Craig only suffered a cut to his hand and lost a couple of teeth during the ordeal.
Strock said, “”He walks out of the car, and he’s high fiving us on the way to the hospital. Unbelievable. Unbelievable.”
Scary situation today ending with a handshake and a pat on the back. pic.twitter.com/GEuYG5Xerm
— Louis Finley (@LouisFinley) September 26, 2019
Reyes-Craig said, “I remember everything,” Jelani Reyes-Craig said. “It was a flour truck, so there was flour and smoke from the engine bay pouring into the car, so I’m choking, gasping for air.”
New York State Police say that Reyes-Craig was ticketed for reckless driving, unsafe lane change, speed not reasonable or prudent, driving over hazardous markings, and unsafe tire. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
“They went beyond the line of duty to do their job, and I’m really grateful for it,” Reyes-Craig said of his rescuers.
