Trucker says he feels ‘blessed’ to survive after 13 shots fired at his semi by ‘random guy’ in Kansas

A truck driver is warning fellow drivers to “be aware of your surroundings at all times” following a terrifying encounter with a man who attacked him with both a metal rod and gun.

Mississippi-based truck driver Joseph Earl Walker says that the incident occurred in Oakley, Kansas, on March 3, 2023.

In a written statement to CDLLife, Walker described the events leading up to the shooting:

“I had just gotten up from a couple hours of nap and was gonna continue my shift of driving I had left … So as I’m leaving a guy in a green pickup truck was blocking my exit and said, “Human, you shall not pass.”

So my instinct kicked in to just back the truck up and try going in another direction but he came charging at me with a metal rod of some sort, smashing mirrors and windows on the truck. I called 911, told them to send help and so I put the truck in drive just to try to scare him away from the truck and me, but he threw himself on the truck as if suicidal, so I stopped… after which he started shooting… The first shot that came through I was certain hit me, but it didn’t, only grazed my face from the glass. But once he stopped shooting I put the truck into drive and just hoped to just get away from him. I kept driving til police arrived behind me.

As I was getting checked out by paramedics they found a bullet casing in my dreads. I mean, dude was that close to taking my head off, like unreal. Thirteen bullets were fired at the truck while I was in it and not a one hit me.

I’m truly blessed to still be here today. Well, I take that back, I’m here physically, but mentally it’s been hard to sleep with replaying the event in my mind over and over. From someone who has served in the U.S. Army, I know about trauma but this was a different level of trauma.

So I say to everyone, be aware of your surroundings at all times and live every day as if it were your last.”

You can see more photos of the damage to Walker’s truck and the small injury he suffered during the incident in the social media posts below.

CDLLife has reached out to the Oakley Police Department (OPD) for more information on the status of this case and this story will be updated when they respond.