A trucker says he’s “lucky to be here” after his truck blew a tire on Thursday afternoon, causing a serious wreck that could have been so much worse.
The accident happened on March 31st in Harnett County, North Carolina.
According to WRAL News, George Gaydon was heading north on Interstate 95 near Longbranch Road when one of his truck’s front tires blew, causing Gaydon to lose control of the rig.
“Once the tire blew, [the truck] went into the guardrail … all I could do is pray from that point,” said Gaydon.
He says it’s a miracle that he was able to keep from hitting any other vehicles.
“The weight of the trailer and the weight that was in it, it was digging down in that dirt [and] pulling it real tight — making it stop. That’s the only thing I had left to depend on to get that thing to stop,” said Gaydon.
The rig then overturned, trapping Gaydon inside and breaking open the trailer, which spilled the load of cabbage and tomatoes bound for Pennsylvania. Luckily, he was able to kick out the windshield and escaped the wrecked cab on his own.
“[I] made sure nobody got hurt or killed and checked everything else … I’m lucky to be here,” he said.
Interstate 95 was shut down in both directions as crews worked to unload the produce and remove the truck from the grassy shoulder. The roadway has since been reopened. No other injuries were reported and no further information has been released.