Farmer and son use hammer to stop runaway truck and save driver who blacked out on I-70 in Kansas

A Kansas sheriff is praising a farmer and son for their extraordinary effort to save a trucker suffering from a medical emergency on I-70 this week.

The incident took place on December 19 in Sherman County, Kansas, according to the Sherman County KS Sheriff’s Office  (SCSO).

SCSO says that a truck driver was westbound on I-70 when he suffered a medical emergency and “blacked out.”

With the driver unconscious, the semi truck went into the median “at highway speeds.” Police say that the truck stayed in the median for a quarter of a mile before it “jumped over a crossover,” which caused the truck to slow.

From Sheriff Burton Pianalto:

“The farmer and his son traveling in the same direction noticed the driver needing help, so they went into action. The semi-truck slowed down enough so they could jump onto the passenger’s side, but they found the door locked. The son riding on the semi-truck asked his dad to throw him a hammer. He then broke the window out, crawled into the semi-truck and stopped the semi-truck before it got to the overpass at exit 17. This action more than likely saved the life of the truck driver along with protecting all the other travelers on I-70 and Highway 27. It is amazing what people will do to help others they do not know. Thank you to Brent Ginther and his son Brady for your heroic actions. Our community is incredibly grateful!“

According to SCSO, the truck driver is okay.

Hundreds of people have liked and shared the story in a matter of hours. See below for what commenters are saying on Facebook:

• “Amazing! My late husband was a trucker and my son is one now too. I’d be forever grateful for heroes like this if it had been one of my truckers needing help.”
• “There are angels among us! What heroic actions!! Hope the driver is ok!!!”
• “Sounds like some action show on TV!”
• “Some straight up Indiana Jones! Jump on to a runaway semi truck on the highway, then your dad tosses you a hammer just in time! Heroes!”