An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper narrowly avoided being caught in a devastating crash after noticing a semi-truck barreling toward a slow-moving construction crew. The trooper’s split-second decision sent his patrol vehicle into a ditch but potentially saved him from being caught directly in the collision.
According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Lt. Forrest White was working a construction detail on the H.E. Bailey Turnpike near mile marker 10. White was positioned behind an attenuator truck and lane-striping vehicle as the crew traveled at approximately 10 mph.
White was driving in the inside lane with his emergency lights activated to warn approaching motorists to slow down and move over. That’s when he reportedly looked in his rearview mirror and saw a semi approaching without slowing.
With only seconds to react, White maneuvered in front of another semi before driving into the ditch alongside the highway. Moments later, the approaching truck slammed into the attenuator vehicle at an estimated 50 mph.
Attenuator Truck Absorbs Massive Impact After Trooper Escapes
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The entire situation could have had a much different outcome had White not been paying attention to what was happening behind him. The attenuator truck is specifically designed to absorb the force of crashes like this and ultimately did exactly what it was supposed to do.
Despite the severity of the impact, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said there were no serious injuries. One person inside the attenuator truck was transported to a hospital to be evaluated, while the semi driver was reportedly uninjured.
According to authorities, the truck driver told White that he simply hadn’t realized how slowly the construction vehicles were traveling. White ultimately issued the driver a citation for failure to reduce speed or move over, which carries a $1,000 penalty.
The highway patrol used the close call to remind drivers to slow down, move over, and remain alert when approaching road crews and emergency vehicles. As this incident demonstrates, workers may have only seconds to react when someone fails to recognize what’s happening ahead.
Comments Praise Trooper’s Split-Second Decision To Avoid Crash
The footage left many commenters impressed by White’s situational awareness. Several pointed out that regularly checking his mirrors may have saved his life, with one person saying the trooper would have otherwise been caught “in the center of a sandwich” between the approaching semi and the construction vehicles.
Truck drivers also joined the discussion, with one commenter who drives an 18-wheeler saying his fellow drivers “don’t claim this guy.” Others questioned how the semi driver failed to recognize the slow-moving construction operation, arguing that professional drivers need to maintain constant awareness of what’s happening around them.
There was also plenty of discussion about White’s evasive maneuver, with commenters calling it an incredible defensive move and praising him for finding an escape route with only seconds to spare. And, naturally, someone found a way to joke about the $1,000 citation, suggesting the truck driver might have to “sell a few goats” to pay the fine.