SHOCKING VIDEO: Person runs across Phoenix area freeway, nearly gets hit by semi-trucks
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- One person is lucky to be alive after running onto a busy west Valley section of the I-10 and stopping in the middle of traffic as two semi-trucks pass by on each side. The frightening act, caught on a dashboard camera, happened Tuesday on Interstate 10 near 83rd Avenue in west Phoenix.
The dash cam video, shared by White Mountain Trucking based in Laveen, shows traffic was moving around 68 miles per hour as the person ran onto and later stopped in the middle of the freeway.
Tony Bradley is the president and CEO of the Arizona Trucking Association. He says this could have turned into a bad situation in the blink of an eye. “Thank goodness for these professionally trained truck drivers who knew how to react and not overreact,” he said. “I was speechless as to what I saw. My first thought is that it’s totally crazy. The damage is endless. There could have been catastrophic loss of life had one of those trucks hit another truck or another vehicle, and what could’ve happened from there? It could’ve gone to several dozen cars.”
A spokesperson with the Arizona Department of Public Safety says they did get a call about this, but they do not know who this person is or where they came from because they never found them.
“Complete mystery to us,” Bradley said. “We just know our driver saw it and everybody had the same reaction of ‘holy cow.’” Bradley says this video is a reminder not to drive distracted and always watch your surroundings. “Make sure you’ve got enough room between you and the vehicle in front of you so you can see what’s going on,” he said. “Go the speed limit. Make sure you’re being observant.”
DPS says they get dozens of calls daily about people walking on the freeway or ramps. Though it’s unclear why the person in the video was crossing the busy freeway, DPS officials say many people they contact who are walking on freeways are homeless, and some are suicidal.
State law considers pedestrians on the freeway trespassing, and a person can be fined.
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