Two Texas deputies were injured Monday morning when an 18-wheeler rear-ended one of their patrol cars while they were helping a motorist stranded with a flat tire, authorities said.
The crash left the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) deputies pinned between the vehicle and the guardrail on I-27, KCBD 11 reported. 49-year-old Deputy Andrew Cavazos was observed dangling from the concrete barrier on the 98th Street overpass. Prior to the accident, Cavazos and his partner, 36-year-old Jorge Martinez, had pulled over to divert traffic as the stranded motorist changed the tire, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
Bystanders at a gas station in the vicinity acted quickly to help rescue the stranded deputies and held on to Cavanos, a Lubbock Police Department (LPD) release said. They assisted in the rescue before officers reached the scene, police said. (RELATED: ‘Bring The Rope!’: Watch Deputies Attempt To Catch Boar After It Goes ‘Hog-Wild’ In Home)
“I heard a crash. Someone had hit that cruiser and pinned those two guys up against the wall. And we just saw it, hauled ass over here,” one of several witnesses nearby who rushed to the scene told KCBD. “We got a ladder and just helped out as best as we can.”
Lubbock County Sheriff Kelly Rowe said in an LPD briefing that the driver of the 18-wheeler was trying to connect a Bluetooth device, causing him to drive distracted, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
“(He) didn’t look up in time until he ended up rear ending both of the sheriff’s vehicles there on the overpass,” Rowe said.
The LCSO confirmed both deputies have since been released from the hospital in a statement the day after the incident. They included statements of gratitude from the deputies for bystanders’ assistance.
“Thank you for helping my partner when I couldn’t reach him,” said Martinez.
Deputy Cavazos also expressed his thanks, saying, “I appreciate every everyone that helped, it could have gone a lot different without you there.”
The alleged driver of the semi-truck, 57-year-old Gregory Vaught, was transported to the hospital after sustaining moderate injuries, KCBD 11 reported. The crash is currently under investigation by the LPD’s Major Crash Unit. The agency said there are no charges issued at this time.