Louisiana Man Saves Family in Truck Accident

He learned about life and how to conduct himself in a couple of important ways: he was born and raised in Louisiana and he served his country in the military. The 55-year-old truck driver used his training, instincts and quick thinking to save a family of six after they were in a motor vehicle crash on a Texas interstate highway. 

Fernandez Garner said he was driving his truck on I-45 behind an SUV when a gas tanker cut right in front of his big rig. Within moments, the trucker watched as the SUV then went off the highway, flipped over several times down a hill and slammed into a tree. 

He stopped his truck and saw a little girl just off of the highway. She had been ejected through the SUV’s rear window and was picking herself up, apparently unharmed. 

Another driver had stopped and rushed over to pick up the little girl. The trucker then hurried to the smashed SUV. There he saw “two young girls and an older boy started crawling out of” a rear SUV door. They, too, appeared to be OK. 

Another trucker who had stopped to help called to the Louisiana native to send the kids up to her next to the interstate, a Louisiana TV station reported. 

He then turned his attention back to the SUV, where the children’s mom was struggling to get out. 

“The mom’s leg was broken, I calmed her down and told her that her children were OK,” the trucker recalled. 

Inside the vehicle, a baby began to cry. The trucker checked the infant who was unharmed. Then the trucker saw the man at the steering wheel. The dad was clearly injured.

The dad began moving and trying to extricate himself from the mangled vehicle. He called out to his family to make sure they were OK. 

After helping all members of the family out of the SUV, the trucker got back on to the road to continue his journey for his employer. 

“I thought about it the rest of the day,” he said. “I thank God for putting me in the position to help somebody.” 

Of course, not all wrecks have heroes and not all occupants sustain so little physical harm. Far too often, there are serious injuries in crashes caused by distracted, drunk or reckless drivers. 

If you or a loved one has been harmed in a car accident, contact The Johnson Firm to discuss compensation for medical bills, lost wages and more. Our experienced Lake Charles truck accident lawyers are here to help.