Nine good Samaritans and two firefighters helped pull a man out of his burning truck cab during a fiery, chain-reaction crash Thursday afternoon in Douglas County.
“The driver’s clothing was on fire when he was rescued,” Wes Tallon, county spokesman, said in an emailed statement.
Four tractor-trailers were involved in the I-20 eastbound crash, which backed up traffic for at least 10 miles, according to the WSB Traffic Center. The wreck occurred in the far right lane as trucks were slowing down to exit through the weigh station, located between Lee Road and Thornton Road, investigators said.
According to witnesses, the first truck involved was slowing down when the second truck slammed into the back of the first truck. The third and fourth trucks then hit the backs of the trailers of the trucks in front of them. The driver in the second truck had to be pulled to safety, Tallon said.
Due to the debris from the accident, the ambulance was forced to drive the injured man to Grady Memorial Hospital with a flat tire, Tallon said. The injured driver, identified Friday as Alan Harrison, 59, of Lawrenceville, was in serious but stable condition at Grady.
I-20 eastbound was shut down for several hours Thursday afternoon while investigators worked to clear the debris and remove spilled diesel fuel.
Charges are possible in the wreck, which remains under investigation, the Georgia State Patrol said Friday.
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