Although one person was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition, no fatalities have yet been reported in a terrifying incident that damaged 33 vehicles and is presumed to have started after a semi’s brakes failed
1 hour ago
A total of 11 people were injured and 33 vehicles damaged in a terrifying incident involving a runaway semi truck that locals say could have actually ended up worse. Although one person was airlifted to hospital in critical condition, no fatalities have been recorded as a result of the accident that took place in Tooele, Utah.
Police believe that the accident occurred after a semi truck‘ brakes failed, causing it to barrel down the city’s Main Street. Although the truck damaged 33 vehicles, the driver appears to have done their best to avoid more carnage.
As can be seen in dashcam footage published by KSL, the truck’s driver seems to have been trying to avoid vehicles stopped at intersections. However, the speed of the truck made it impossible to avoid every driver on the road.
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Tony Garner, one of the people who was hit by the truck, said he felt lucky to be alive after the accident. “I closed my eyes and said my prayers. I didn’t think I was going to see my kids, my family, so… yeah,” said Garner. “It was just so chaotic and so scary.”
Fortunately, 22 of the affected vehicles were unoccupied at the time of the accident. This was because the truck eventually swerved off the road and into a Ford dealership. Despite the beautiful weather, employees reported that there were no customers or onlookers in the yard when the incident occurred.
The story doesn’t stop there, though. The truck proceeded to collide with the dealership’s primary building and subsequently ignited in flames. Remarkably, the driver of the truck emerged from the incident without sustaining any significant injuries, and no one inside the building was harmed either.
Tooele police, including some officers who happened to be at the accident scene, swiftly aided individuals in safely leaving their vehicles. Preliminary evaluations indicated that the cleanup process would require several days to address the extensive number of affected vehicles.
“Today’s incident was indeed a tragic event, and many in our community have been profoundly affected by it,” said Tooele Mayor Debbie Winn. “As we move forward, it is imperative that we continue to work together to prevent such accidents and enhance the safety of our community. I am committed to supporting any measures that can help mitigate the risk of such incidents in the future.”