An off-duty paramedic caught up in the recent Fort Worth pile up crash was gifted a new car for his heroic actions pulling people from the chaos.
Trey McDaniel was driving his Toyota FJ Cruiser along Interstate 35 on his way to work as a paramedic, uniform and all, when he noticed brake lights ahead of him and started to slow, but hit black ice. He then spun into a barrier wall, where he was trapped. A semi truck then came barreling towards him, unable to stop, and the impact crushed his vehicle and sent it flying over the barrier wall.
RIP FJ and several people in Fort Worth, TX from r/FJCruiser
“I saw that semi truck barreling toward me and I figured it was my time. I braced for impact and impact is what I got (refer to video that’s been floating around the net). I was launched over the center barrier into the Northbound lanes while still inside. If you slow the video down, I made a full rotation, my roof rack came off and the FJ landed on top of it, fortunately wheels down. Every airbag deployed and the cab was a safe cocoon. I was alive. I oriented myself and crawled out of my driver window.”
Shortly after that, McDaniel jumped into action helping the on-duty paramedics, hardly taking a moment to regain his bearings.
“I remember helping to load at least two people,” he said.
When the on-duty paramedics realized he had been involved in the crash himself, they quickly sent him to the hospital, where he was evaluated and determined to have only scrapes and bruises.
McDaniel later posted his experience on reddit, where he credited his FJ Cruiser for saving his life.
“I was in the silver FJ that got launched into the Northbound lanes. That Toyota saved my life,” he titled the post.
A short time later, a local Toyota dealership, Toyota of Grapevine, caught wind of McDaniel’s story and decided to offer him a brand new Toyota for his heroic actions.
The dealership handed McDaniel the keys to a brand new 2021 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro as a token of their appreciation, and had this to say about the situation:
“We’re just glad you’re safe and inspired that you chose to help others in need. We’re happy you’re part of the Toyota family. So, don’t worry about replacing your vehicle – it would be an honor for us to get you a new one!”