Trucker forced to vault out passenger window of burning truck as door sticks

A truck driver vaults out passenger window of burning semi truck after the door to his rig got during a serious mechanical issue.

The incident occurred at a Kwik Trip at 2145 County Road PB in Verona, Wisconsin on Friday, September 22nd.

According to ABC 27, the driver pulled into the parking lot after experiencing a mechanical issue with his rig. As he pulled into the lot, the truck stalled at the entrance, and the driver noticed that the truck had caught fire. 

“[He] tried to get out,” said Verona Fire Chief Dan Machotka. “Unfortunately, his door wouldn’t work.”

Luckily, the unnamed trucker was able to jump out of his truck through the passenger window without getting burned, but he did sustain some minor injuries in the process. 

“He was definitely shocked,” Machotka said. “We had an ambulance [crew] take a look at him just to make sure he was all right.”

Paul Tourdot, a Kwik Trip employee, says that the driver was able to come into the store on his own, but he was noticeably shaken up by the ordeal. 

“[He was] shaken, as anybody would be,” Tourdot said.

A fire crew responded to the scene within five minutes of receiving the call, and was able to stop the fire from spreading to the truck’s trailer and load of cardboard, or any of the gas station’s property. 

The truck cab and some of the driver’s property was completely destroyed in the blaze. The cause of the fire has not been determined.