texas

Drivers Caught in Tornado Say They Are Lucky to Be Alive

Alonzo Peavy and his family said they are lucky to be alive.

His red Hyundai is now a mangled piece of metal after colliding with other cars and debris as the tornado roared across Interstate 35E near Walnut Hill Lane Sunday night.

"I really thought our car was going to get taken away by the storm," said Peavy.

As the car started shaking and the windows started shattering, he jumped into the backseat and laid on top of his 2-year-old son.

"I was just saying to myself, 'God please don't take my fiancé or my son. Take me if you need to take someone.'"

When the storm passed the family, including 2-year-old Alonzo, Jr., were left without a scratch.

Monica Cassell was on the road, too.

She had been checking the radar on her way home from a wedding and thought she would beat the worst of it.

"No rain, no wind and everything looked fine other than lightning in the distance," said Cassell. "Then, I saw a huge power flash and the next thing I knew there was a tornado right in front of my face."

She described a wall of debris and dust. She watched mangled sheet metal and pieces of concrete fly into the interstate, crashing into cars around her and shattering her back window.

"It's just scary," said Cassell. "It's scary to think that wind can do that."

Both Cassell and Peavy said they are shocked everyone survived the storm and are grateful to everyone on the interstate who stopped to help.

"That's why I really love Texas," said Peavy. "Because you can just see all the brave souls. Everybody is running out of their cars trying to make sure everyone is okay."

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