Garland

Good Samaritan Helps Rescue Driver in Fiery Garland Crash

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When an 18-wheeler crashed into flames in I-30 in Garland Tuesday morning, a Fort Worth man suddenly found himself in the role of rescuer.

"All I could think of is those guys had to get out of that truck before it burned,” Jessie Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson was heading east on I-30 on a hunting trip when he saw the big truck crash right in front of him.

He threw his car into park and jumped out to help.

"I didn't know what I was going to see but I saw that the driver had his head out and both his arms and was grabbing the top of the cab,” Wilkerson said. “The window was all busted out and the cab was smashed up and he was trying to get out."

Wilkerson, who works in the home remodeling business, wasted no time.

"I was standing on batteries and the fuel tank when I went up there to grab him and pull him off,” he said.

He dragged the driver to safety over a concrete barrier.

"I patted him on the shoulder and told him everything was going to be OK,” Wilkerson said.

That's when he realized there was a passenger in the wreckage too. He threw off his slip-on shoes and ran up in his socks to rescue him.

"He was moaning and you could tell he was in a lot of pain,” Wilkerson said.

With flames all around, he grabbed the passenger and pulled him away.

"I'm trying to keep an eye on the flames and everything at the same time and they keep getting bigger,” Wilkerson said.

Soon first responders arrived and took over, he said.

"It all happened really fast. It seemed like it was taking a while but everything happened within a few minutes,” he said.

In the end, the driver survived and was listed in stable condition.

Unfortunately, the passenger didn't make it.

Wilkerson said he doesn't feel like a hero.

"I'm glad that I was there,” he said. “It's hard to feel super good about the situation when you know there's a family out there that lost their loved one. I wish I could have done more but I did all I could do."

Two 18-wheelers are involved in a crash on I-30 West at Zion Road that caused a fire and fuel spill.
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