Gainesville Times: Truck driver rescues victims from fiery crash

This June 23 story from Florida’s Gainesville Times is the latest example of heroics on the road by a professional truck driver:

A truck driver witnessing a crash Thursday afternoon in Gainesville helped three people out of their vehicle before it was engulfed in flames, according to the Georgia State Patrol.

State patrol responded to a four-vehicle wreck around 12:30 p.m. Thursday on Ga. 369/Browns Bridge Road near Weatherford Road.

A 17-year-old in a Ford Escape was driving eastbound on Browns Bridge Road and was negotiating a curve. A Subaru Forester driven by Joanne Kessler, 71, of Gainesville and a Dodge Durango driven by Jeffrey Barrett, 53, of Canton approached from the opposite direction. The Escape failed to maintain its lane and crossed the center line, according to state patrol.

“(The Ford Escape) struck (Kessler’s car)’s left side with its left side in a sideswipe manner,” Trooper Jonathan Munger wrote in an email. “After impact, (Kessler’s car) rotated counterclockwise, overturned and became airborne.”

The Subaru then slid on its top into the eastbound lanes and hit a Ford Expedition head-on. Lynn Voyer, 52, of Cumming was inside the Expedition with two teenagers.

“Occupants from (the Expedition) were assisted out of the vehicle by a Morgan Concrete truck driver, who was not involved in the crash,” Munger wrote. “This occurred prior to the vehicle engulfing in flames.”

The Escape sideswiped Barrett’s Durango on the left side with its left side, Munger wrote.

All five people involved in the wreck were taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville with injuries that were not life-threatening, according to state patrol.

“All are expected to be (OK),” Munger wrote.

The 17-year-old in the Escape was charged with failure to maintain lane and failure to exercise due care.

Browns Bridge Road was shut down for two hours Thursday because of the wreck.

State patrol did not release the names of any juveniles involved.

Link: Gainesville Times