A passing motorist was able to help a truck driver escape a burning truck cab after he was temporarily frozen from shock. 

The accident happened on Monday, June 9th in Webster County, Iowa on a rural bridge over Holiday Creek. 

According to KCCI, Road Foreman Dale Iles was in his car when he witnessed a semi truck lose control, cross the center line, jump a guardrail, and land partially in Holiday Creek. 

“He crossed the center line and lost control at the bridge. And basically jumped the guard rail. The cab ended up right over here,” Iles said. 

The semi truck then burst into flames, trapping truck driver Clay Schmadeke inside, frozen from shock. That’s when Iles jumped into action to save the driver. 

“When your adrenaline kicks in, you, you don’t even think about it. You just start acting,” Iles said. “I just told him that ‘You’ve been in an accident and your cab is on fire. We’ve got to get you out of here. Can you climb?’”

Iles says Schmadeke did not say a word, but stood up and was able to climb out of the cab, no longer frozen from shock thanks to Iles. 

The wrecked semi truck eventually fell completely into the creek as the fire burned, and a passing trucker called 911. 

“I could see the fire off to the side of us. So it was fairly tall, but, my, my concentration was just to get him out of there,” Iles said.

Schmadeke has since been released from the hospital. Details regarding his injuries have not been released, but he says that Iles definitely saved his life that day. 

“I would, I would do it over again. You just jump into action when something like this happens and, you know, somebody is wounded or hurt or especially with fire. Well, there’s no time. You just jump into action,” Iles said.