Driving a large semi-truck isn’t quite as simple as driving a car. Not only do truck drivers need to manage huge amounts of weight through traffic, they also need to anticipate and act on potential hazards much faster than most other motorists. The quick actions of the trucker in this video may have saved lives.
The following near-miss happened in Mississippi on February 23 and to say this was a close call would be an understatement.
The dashcam footage shows the trucker cruising down a large motorway at 73 mph (117 km/h), minding his own business. Suddenly, a white Ford Focus sedan comes into view and for some strange reason, it is edging its way towards the left lane where the truck is.
As the trucker closes in on the sedan, the driver makes the decision that an impact is inevitable if they don’t steer towards the median. Unable to brake in time to stop before hitting the Ford, the trucker turns to the left and hits the grass median. As the trucker slides along the grass, the driver can be heard screaming “NO NO NO NO NO NO NO,” likely out of fear that the truck was moments away from rolling. Fortunately, it didn’t.
The Ford Focus sedan driver is clearly to blame for this near-miss. It remains unclear why the Ford driver veered across the road like this but the driver’s side of the vehicle had sustained some prior damage, including large dents down the doors and a mangled rear bumper.