If you live anywhere near New Jersey, you probably already heard about the 400 car crashes and ridiculous 48-car pileup that happened on I-95 near Teaneck last Sunday when drivers found out the hard way that the road was covered in black ice. Although undoubtedly everyone involved has a harrowing story to tell, none are quite as legitimately terrifying as this man who recorded himself nearly getting plowed by a tractor trailer on I-95 while he was sitting and waiting for yet another tractor trailer to get out of the way.
Before you watch this video, you might find it somewhat comforting to know that although 13 people were sent to the hospital, no deaths resulted from any of the crashes—and when you see how lucky this guy was, that fact will seem infinitely more amazing.
Our intrepid videographer was stalled by the New Brunswick exit at southbound I-95 when he pulled out his camera to get a picture of the street behind him, instead capturing an out-of-control 18-wheeler coming at him full-speed, barely avoiding him as it crossed the divide into oncoming traffic and wrapped around itself, starting a small fire. Can we just take a moment and throw up some collective ::praisehands:: for that truck driver? That was truly artful handling of that machine under impossible circumstances. Sure, maybe there was some luck involved, but I gotta think that a less cool-headed, savvy driver never would've been able to avert disaster like that.
What is by far the most chilling about this video, though, is that the guy recording it doesn't make a sound. I know myself well enough to say, without a doubt, that if I had been in his shoes, I probably would have screamed expletives and wet my pants and chucked the phone out the damn window, but this guy just takes casually videotapes his near certain death the way parents videotape their kids' terrible school plays. I don't know what to make of this. But yeesh, this will give you a healthy dose of fear for driving on the I-95 in winter:
Image: YouTube
