I am proud of my dad because he is a hero. Here is his story.
On March 10th, 2017, my dad, a tractor-trailor driver, was traveling north on I-81 just outside of Hazleton, PA with a heavy load full of lumber when a snow sqawl suddenly hit the area. An accident occurred right in front of him and he knew he had to stop his tractor or risk the lives of the people in front of him if he struck them. As he started to brake, the straight job (truck) in front of him started weaving and then lost control, which eliminated any possibility of my dad stopping without striking the multiple vehicles in front of him. Instead of plowing his tractor with the full load of lumber into the vehicles, my dad chose to sacifice himself, whipped his wheel away from the vehicles, and turned the tractor into the median. The vehicles in front of him were untouched.
As events would have it, a tractor was already on its side in the median in the exact space where my dad just turned. With another collision imminent, instead of striking the tractor in front of him, he tried to purposefully roll his tractor onto its side to avoid endangering the driver now in front of him. The median, however, was covered with ice, which pushed his tractor even faster. With no other way to steer the tractor, he realized a collision was unavoidable. He dived out of the driver's seat towards the passenger seat just as his tractor struck the trailer in front of him, causing my dad's load of lumber to continue moving forward, crushing his cab and pinning his left leg trapping him.
My dad is currently in the hospital and the staff has indicated he will need to move into a rehabilitation facility for care once his pain becomes tolerable. He is covered in abrasions, has bruising on his rib cage, and had back muscles completely detached from the vertebrae in his spine. He remains in bed now, unable to sit up let alone stand, and it's been over a day.
There has been an incredible outpouring of love from family, friends, and various strangers, some of whom were in the vehicles around my dad and witnessed his selfless act. People have indicated that they would like a way to thank him for his quick decision to sacrifice himself to save others, and some people requested starting a gofundme to help him and my mom with the long road ahead of them for his recovery. I am sure worker's compensation will cover some things, but it cannot replace everything, I am uncertain at this point what the end result or his prognosis will be.
We are incredibly grateful that he is alive. We have been told that if he had not dived for the passenger's seat, he would not be with us today.
Dad is the primary provider of the family so any funds that are raised will cover costs for medical needs that are not covered and the costs of any indirect consequences from my dad being unable to work for an indefinite period now.
On behalf of my my mother, brother, and our families,
we want to thank each and every one of you for your love, blessings, and support.
Finally, the photograph is my Dad pictured with me at my wedding in May of last year.
On March 10th, 2017, my dad, a tractor-trailor driver, was traveling north on I-81 just outside of Hazleton, PA with a heavy load full of lumber when a snow sqawl suddenly hit the area. An accident occurred right in front of him and he knew he had to stop his tractor or risk the lives of the people in front of him if he struck them. As he started to brake, the straight job (truck) in front of him started weaving and then lost control, which eliminated any possibility of my dad stopping without striking the multiple vehicles in front of him. Instead of plowing his tractor with the full load of lumber into the vehicles, my dad chose to sacifice himself, whipped his wheel away from the vehicles, and turned the tractor into the median. The vehicles in front of him were untouched.
As events would have it, a tractor was already on its side in the median in the exact space where my dad just turned. With another collision imminent, instead of striking the tractor in front of him, he tried to purposefully roll his tractor onto its side to avoid endangering the driver now in front of him. The median, however, was covered with ice, which pushed his tractor even faster. With no other way to steer the tractor, he realized a collision was unavoidable. He dived out of the driver's seat towards the passenger seat just as his tractor struck the trailer in front of him, causing my dad's load of lumber to continue moving forward, crushing his cab and pinning his left leg trapping him.
My dad is currently in the hospital and the staff has indicated he will need to move into a rehabilitation facility for care once his pain becomes tolerable. He is covered in abrasions, has bruising on his rib cage, and had back muscles completely detached from the vertebrae in his spine. He remains in bed now, unable to sit up let alone stand, and it's been over a day.
There has been an incredible outpouring of love from family, friends, and various strangers, some of whom were in the vehicles around my dad and witnessed his selfless act. People have indicated that they would like a way to thank him for his quick decision to sacrifice himself to save others, and some people requested starting a gofundme to help him and my mom with the long road ahead of them for his recovery. I am sure worker's compensation will cover some things, but it cannot replace everything, I am uncertain at this point what the end result or his prognosis will be.
We are incredibly grateful that he is alive. We have been told that if he had not dived for the passenger's seat, he would not be with us today.
Dad is the primary provider of the family so any funds that are raised will cover costs for medical needs that are not covered and the costs of any indirect consequences from my dad being unable to work for an indefinite period now.
On behalf of my my mother, brother, and our families,
we want to thank each and every one of you for your love, blessings, and support.
Finally, the photograph is my Dad pictured with me at my wedding in May of last year.
Organizer and beneficiary
Nancy Bedell
Beneficiary