Video captures semi truck careening into first responders at freeway pileup
Two people were hurt, including a Texas state trooper, after a horrific incident caught on video that shows an 18-wheel semi truck barreling off the freeway behind a pileup in heavy fog, sending emergency responders and others fleeing before jackknifing, sweeping aside at least two other vehicles and crushing a pickup truck with the driver still inside.
NBC affiliate KCBD-TV caught video of the incident, which took place Friday on Highway 84 southeast of Lubbock. The state trooper who was struck while trying to escape the onrushing semi was reportedly released from the hospital later that night with a sprained ankle, a cut to the back of his head and some bruising. The driver of the pickup, who was extracted by firefighters, was reportedly held at the hospital and was being monitored for internal injuries. He was said to be in stable conditions with few substantial injuries.
Police were there responding to a two-vehicle crash that had blocked the westbound lanes when a semi traveling eastbound (not shown in the video) jackknifed and came to a rest in the center median, with several other vehicles crashing into it, KCBD reports. Then on camera, another eastbound semi traveling at speed appears out of the fog, colliding with a red SUV that was attempting to pull over in front of it, causing the semi to jackknife, careen off the pavement and roll over, striking several vehicles in the process.
KCBD reports there were a total of five crashes involving four semi tractor-trailers and four passenger vehicles. The area was under a dense fog advisory at the time, with visibility limited to a quarter mile or less.
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