Box Truck Goes Sliding off Icy Road, Missing Woman and Two State Troopers by Inches in Heart-Pounding Video
There are two kinds of extreme drivers in this world: Those who slow down to a crawl at the slightest hint of rain and those who wouldn’t slow down even if fire rained down from the sky.
Depending on where you live, weather hazards can include anything from torrential downpour to black ice, and it’s important to know your area, know your vehicle and make judicious choices when it comes to driving.
Several people from Illinois got a taste of that reality on Nov. 12 near Wayne City when they experienced a minor inconvenience right before a much more serious one.
Troopers Zimmerman and Pflaum were on the side of the interstate helping a woman change her tire. The road was right next to them, and it was icy.
As the two of them were standing on the side of the road with the woman, a box truck down the interstate started to lose control. The next few moments caught on camera are difficult to watch even when you know that everything turns out OK.
“On November 12, 2019 during an ice storm, a stranded motorist who was being helped by two Illinois State Police Troopers experienced a ‘Miracle on the Ice,'” the Illinois State Police posted on Friday. “That’s what it’s being called around ISP District 19 – Carmi!”
“Probationary Trooper Pflaum and his Field Training Officer, Trooper Zimmerman, were changing the tire on a vehicle on Interstate 64 at milepost 101 near Wayne City, when they came inches from losing their lives.”
“Listen closely as the two ISP HEROES start yelling ‘Watch out!’ and pull the woman out of the way. Fortunately, she was down in the ditch line as the box truck literally passed over the top of her and barely missed the two Troopers.”
The video shows the truck flying sideways down the road and then shuddering to a halt right where they had been standing. You can hear one of the troopers radioing in and saying he was fine, before calling out for the woman to check on her.
Thankfully, the woman’s injuries were minor, and though she was taken to the hospital, she didn’t have to stay long.
The post also mentioned that since the truck had moved over to the left lane, the driver had not violated Scott’s Law (which requires drivers to move over when they see authorized emergency vehicles stationed on the side of the road, according to the Illinois State Police), but that he was cited for “Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid a Crash.”
“We were inches away from a different story being told,” the post continued. “Literally inches.”
“Folks, we can’t stress this enough! SLOW DOWN! Move over when you see vehicles on the shoulder of the roadway with their lights on. Proceed with caution. It is especially important during the snow/ice conditions. As you can see, sometimes it’s a matter of life or death as a stranded motorist. It’s not just about us out there, it is people you know and love that we are assisting also.”
The ISP Facebook page also posted that Zimmerman and Pflaum will be providing more details to media outlets on Wednesday.
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