The good Saratoga Samaritan

On Wednesday, around 2:30 p.m., a semi-truck was cut off by a car near the Sinclair exit going eastbound on Interstate 80 and crashed between the highways. The cab looked like a giant had stomped on it.

The car that caused the accident did not stop, but others did immediately. Some of those were Valley residents.

Saratoga resident James "Jimmy" Campbell and his wife, Jaimie, were on their way to Rawlins to do some shopping when they witnessed the crash.

Jimmy pulled over his truck immediately and ran to the crushed cab that was turned upside down. Other people stopped to help, but it was Jimmy and an Air Force cadet who ventured into the cab.

"While we got to the cab, other people were trying to get the debris off the road," Jimmy explained. "There was one semi that couldn't be bothered to stop and he ended getting the hood wedged under his vehicle so that he did have to stop up the road.

Jimmy said the driver inside the cab was hanging upside down.

"The guy had a knife that he tried to use to get himself out but he had dropped it and could not reach it, so we retrieved it and we started working on cutting him free," Jimmy said. "The kid was slim and could get around in the cab easier."

The cadet was worried about the smell of fuel that was leaking around the cab.

"I told him I was pretty sure diesel didn't burn as easily as gasoline, so we would probably be okay," Jimmy explained. "I know if there was a fire we could have been in trouble but when you're working to get someone out of a situation like this, there is going to be risk of some sort. You got to just go with it."

Jimmy said it didn't take long to get the driver out.

"It seemed to take forever but, in reality, we were fairly quick," Jimmy said.

The driver was conscious and was in good shape other than his legs.

"He was in shock, of course, but he was able to get across to the other side of the road with our help," Jimmy said. "He did have bruises the size of grapefruits on his shins. I guess there is a chance they might have been broken, but the shock had him moving."

Jimmy said he and the cadet were able to retrieve the driver's wallet, which helped when the authorities and the emergency responders arrived.

The truck did not catch on fire and, due to the quick reactions of many that stopped, the debris was speedily picked up and put alongside the road.

Jimmy said his actions to help at the accident were not exceptional.

"Come on, this is Carbon County," Jimmy said. "People here help each other."