Posted on 04/30/2007 10:09:28 AM PDT by radar101
James Mosqueda, the driver in Sunday's fiery fuel-tanker crash, climbed out of the cab of his truck just moments before an explosion so powerful and hot that it melted steel and brought down a freeway, witnesses and law enforcement officials said.
Mosqueda, a 51-year-old father of three from Woodland (Yolo County), walked away from the wreck -- and kept on walking.
He walked for a mile and a half in all -- first along the overpass where he crashed and then for at least 13 blocks through the desolate streets of West Oakland -- to an Arco gas station, where he approached a cabdriver and asked for a ride to a hospital, police said.
The Friendly Cab driver, who identified himself to The Chronicle only as Anthony, 46, of San Jose, said he had just pulled into the gas station at West Grand Avenue and Market Street when he saw Mosqueda.
"He walked up to me. He was in pain. He was telling me he was dying. He had blisters, bubbles on his hands. Part of his hair was burnt," the cabbie said.
California Highway Patrol spokesman Trent Cross said Mosqueda was driving at an unsafe speed in a 50 mph zone, moving in the right lane of the two-lane connector ramp between westbound Interstate 80 and southbound Interstate 880, when he struck the right guardrail, causing the truck to overturn.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
2nd degree burns are painfull but the guy wasn’t dying.
...
Cross said Mosqueda had been driving for Sabek Transportation, of South San Francisco, for 10 months.
I hope their insurance is paid up.
First he survives a fiery crash. Then he survives a 13 block walk in the middle of the night thru West Oakland!
It's a miracle!!!
Driving a cab in Oakland in the middle of the night. The guy was a hero before he took the tanker driver to the hospital.
Wow. He survives a fiery fuel tanker crash AND walking 13 blocks through Oakland? Dude should’ve bought a lottery ticket, because he’s lucky!
}:-)4
Wow. He survives a fiery fuel tanker crash AND walking 13 blocks through Oakland? Dude should’ve bought a lottery ticket, because he’s lucky!
I think he’s used up his share of luck now!
Ya gotta be fast around here.
Those are some really short policeman.
HEY ROSIE - would this be the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel?????
The guy had to be in shock or have some sort of concussion. Any thinking person would have stayed at the accident site and waited for the firefighters and ambulances to show up.
When you say the word stoic...he defines by his actions. As tough as nails.
Well, apparently, that rules out both this truck driver and Michael Waltrip, since they both went a-walkin’ after their respective accidents recently.
}:-)4
A local tv station was invited into his house for an off camera interview.
His mother did the interview in Spanish which was then translated by the Hispanic news lady.
“2nd degree burns are painfull but the guy wasn’t dying.”
Depends on how much of his body was burnt.
I know a guy who was hit hard in the back of the head by a stump he was pulling out with his Jeep. A neighbor found his bloody truck with the engine running in the street and called 911. Police found him taking a shower like nothing happened. IIRC, he was then in the hospital for several weeks and out of work for months with internal brain damage.
I would say the guy was in shock.
Hmmmmmm, Mosqueda.
Must be one of those Mexican Møøselimbs...
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