Sparta Truck Driver Veered Off Road When Brakes Failed, Police Say

When drivers passed by a red truck flipped over in a pond, they slowed down and wondered why. Traffic became increasingly congested on Route 15 last Friday afternoon, but according to the guy driving the dump truck, it could have been worse.

The dump truck driver, Gary Williams, 64, of Bogota, said he took the only course of action available to him when his brakes failed, according to a story in The Daily Record. When his car stopped functioning properly, he decided to avoid all cars at all costs.

“I had no brakes. I said ‘I’m going to kill people if I stay on this road,’” Williams told The Daily Record. “I had nowhere to go, so I went to the right. I thought there would be something to stop me, a barrier, I didn’t know there was a drop and then water.”

Williams wasn't hurt badly because he was wearing a seatbelt and holding onto his wheel tightly, according to The Daily Record. The car rammed into and over a barrier, and flipped over on the shallow lake. According to the story, witnesses were applauding Williams.

“They were saying I saved lives,” Williams told The Daily Record. “I knew the damage that truck could have done to cars if I hit them, so I wasn’t thinking about myself.”

State Police are leading the investigation.

Image via Sparta Police Department, Faceboook, used with permission.