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Good Samaritans Risk Their Lives Trying to Save Truck Driver

by Jana Ritter - Published: 7/18/2016

After an accident sent two dump trucks plunging off a bridge and into the Yellow River on Sunday night, at least five good samaritans risked their lives trying to save one of the truck drivers.

                                                     

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According to Sgt. Cortney Morrison of the Newton County Sheriff's Office, two dump trucks were driving along the I-20 Access Road at around 8:40 pm, which bridged over the Yellow River near Covington, GA. One truck rear-ended the other, which caused both trucks to lose control and both went crashing through the concrete barriers over the bridge, one on one side and one on the other side. While one of the drivers managed to escape with non-life threatening injuries, the other driver was not so lucky. Motorists stopped and at least five good samaritans risked their lives jumping into the river with the difficult job of locating the driver in the diesel polluted water. Steven Redish was one of those men and later told reporters how he saw the entire incident unfold. He says that they immediately saw diesel fuel leaking from the truck into the water and knew the situation was bad. Nevertheless, the men plunged into the water and searched for the driver, knowing time was working against them. "When I jumped in, you could taste the diesel fuel floating down the water. My stomach was queasy,” Redish said. He was also the one who located the driver in the water, but tragically it was too late. "He was in my arms and I could feel the last little twitch in his body," Redish said.

                                                        

The Newton County Sheriff's Office traffic unit responded to the scene along with GDOT and EMA. They pronounced the truck driver deceased at the scene and later identified him as Valentine Gayle, 48, of Lithonia. Redish and the other men said they all swallowed diesel fuel as they navigated the polluted water, but they all felt that jumping in to try to save a man’s live was the right thing to do and they would do it again. “I'm real nauseous and my whole body was aching. I've got a bad migraine, and my vision is real blurry. I need to get checked out," Redish said.


Janie Latigo
Janie Latigo
May he rip and thank god for people like them shows theres still good in this world
Gloria Morua
Gloria Morua
R.I.P. Driver
Jon Sell
Jon Sell
So sad !
Harry Douglas Price
Harry Douglas Price
Prayers
Brad Davis
Brad Davis
So sad. Rip driver.
Susan Traweek Allen
Susan Traweek Allen
You never know what a day holds & this is so sad!
Hector Colon
Hector Colon
Rip driver
Alfred Rivero
Alfred Rivero
Sad😭
Trevor W Thomas
Trevor W Thomas
Get the truck out of the water help save that truck I don't want that truck to not go under water get out please !!! Protect it
Kevin Stickley
Kevin Stickley
Trevor W Thomas you're a snot nosed 28yr old green horn rookie your still wet behind your ears and you have a lot of growing up to do. R.I.P driver and condolences to the family.
David Bright
David Bright
Always has to be some clown make some wise ass comment when something as tragic as this happens ! RIP driver ! To hell with the truck !
Rick Bouchard
Rick Bouchard
Carl Chancey nice shot of your T-800 in this article.
Trevor W Thomas
Trevor W Thomas
Please save that truck please don't break it
Eric Betea
Eric Betea
☹️
Justin Hoke
Justin Hoke
The people talking about save the truck. WTF is wrong with you?