Witness: Mystery soldier risked life trying to save driver in fiery crash
TUMWATER, Wash. -- The driver of a semi truck was killed in a fiery crash on I-5 Thursday morning, despite heroic efforts from two Good Samaritans who happened upon the crash scene.
The crash happened in the northbound lanes around 9 a.m. near 93rd Avenue in Tumwater, said Trooper Guy Gill with the Washington State Patrol.
Gill says the semi collided with a Honda CRV, and the impact sent the semi off the shoulder and into some trees, where the cab caught fire.
Truck driver Aubrey Haxdy came up on the scene shortly after and said he and another man tried to save the driver.
"I saw the fire start to break out under the truck," Haxdy told KOMO Newsradio. "I pulled over, grabbed my fire extinguisher and ran down there but the fire was pretty involved by the time I got there."
Haxdy said he tried to use his extinguisher to douse the flames, but it was having little effect. Then another man, who was dressed in military fatigues, came rushing in to help clear the tree debris around the driver's door and get the driver out.
"He was trying to push the trees away getting up to the door, I was trying to shoot at the flames closest to him so he wasn't getting burned," Haxdy said.
The soldier then got the door open.
"He was pulling on the (driver), got a hold of his arm and yelling at him to 'Get out! Get out!' " Haxdy said.
But Haxdy said something exploded inside the truck and blew the soldier back off the cab.
"(The soldier) disappeared for a second. I continued to spray (the extinguisher) but it ran out," Haxdy said. "(The) truck became fully engulfed at that point, I had to back off."
But he said the soldier didn't want to give up.
"The other guy wanted to know if we could go back in -- he thought guy was still alive," Haxdy said. "He asked if I had another extinguisher, but there was no way to get close to truck again."
Haxdy said the soldier, whoever he is, needs to be recognized.
"I think his hands were burned, but he didn't care. He wanted to go back in and get this guy," Haxdy said. "(He went) above and beyond-- a hero. There were a lot of people standing around. He went in."
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The people in the CRV were not seriously injured.
Gill said a tree that was damaged in the crash would have to be removed so it didn't fall on the freeway, but traffic was moving by the scene without issue.
Gill didn't have details yet of what led up to the crash.
The crash happened in the northbound lanes around 9 a.m. near 93rd Avenue in Tumwater, said Trooper Guy Gill with the Washington State Patrol.
Gill says the semi collided with a Honda CRV, and the impact sent the semi off the shoulder and into some trees, where the cab caught fire.
Truck driver Aubrey Haxdy came up on the scene shortly after and said he and another man tried to save the driver.
"I saw the fire start to break out under the truck," Haxdy told KOMO Newsradio. "I pulled over, grabbed my fire extinguisher and ran down there but the fire was pretty involved by the time I got there."
Haxdy said he tried to use his extinguisher to douse the flames, but it was having little effect. Then another man, who was dressed in military fatigues, came rushing in to help clear the tree debris around the driver's door and get the driver out.
"He was trying to push the trees away getting up to the door, I was trying to shoot at the flames closest to him so he wasn't getting burned," Haxdy said.
The soldier then got the door open.
"He was pulling on the (driver), got a hold of his arm and yelling at him to 'Get out! Get out!' " Haxdy said.
But Haxdy said something exploded inside the truck and blew the soldier back off the cab.
"(The soldier) disappeared for a second. I continued to spray (the extinguisher) but it ran out," Haxdy said. "(The) truck became fully engulfed at that point, I had to back off."
But he said the soldier didn't want to give up.
"The other guy wanted to know if we could go back in -- he thought guy was still alive," Haxdy said. "He asked if I had another extinguisher, but there was no way to get close to truck again."
Haxdy said the soldier, whoever he is, needs to be recognized.
"I think his hands were burned, but he didn't care. He wanted to go back in and get this guy," Haxdy said. "(He went) above and beyond-- a hero. There were a lot of people standing around. He went in."
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The people in the CRV were not seriously injured.
Gill said a tree that was damaged in the crash would have to be removed so it didn't fall on the freeway, but traffic was moving by the scene without issue.
Gill didn't have details yet of what led up to the crash.
