Man Breaks Truck Window to Save Driver After Gas Station Crash

When Kyle Swalheim saw a semi truck careening toward a Wrightstown gas station Thursday morning, he didn't have time to think. He just acted.

Swalheim was running a half-hour late for work, talking on the phone with his fiancée, when he noticed something was wrong. The semi was heading toward him on Broadway Street at what he estimates was over 30 miles per hour, driving straight over the median and taking down a street sign.

"Honey, I've got to go," Swalheim told his fiancée. "He's going to slam right into that building."

The truck crashed into the gas station, narrowly missing the attendant's counter inside. Swalheim immediately pulled into the lot and rushed to help, joined by another bystander while a woman at the pumps called 911.

But reaching the driver wasn't easy. The truck's engine was still running, pumping exhaust into the building. The doors were locked, and the driver wasn't responding to Swalheim's pounding on the window.

Swalheim sprinted back to his work van and grabbed a hammer. He smashed through the driver's side window, cleared away the glass, reached inside, and shut off the engine before toxic fumes could fill the space.

When first responders arrived, Swalheim handed them a wrench to shut off the gas station's fuel line. Only then did the full weight of the moment hit him.

Sunny's Take

Sometimes the universe puts us exactly where we need to be. Swalheim's "late start" that morning meant he was in the perfect position to help when seconds mattered most.

Fortunately, no other cars were parked at the station, and only one attendant was inside. The truck's path missed the counter by feet, and Swalheim's quick thinking prevented a potential explosion or fire.

"I wasn't even thinking. It was just reaction," Swalheim said. The semi driver was transported to a hospital, and officials are still investigating what caused the crash.

"I was just in the right spot at the right time to jump in and try to help," Swalheim reflected. Sometimes being late turns out to be right on time.