RICHMOND, Va. -- A quick-thinking truck driver helped clean up a mass of cardboard that spilled from another semi on I-95 near Broad Street in downtown Richmond Thursday afternoon.
Virginia State Police officials said the tractor-trailer hit the jersey wall, crashed into a bridge abutment and spilled most of its load on both sides of the interstate just before 1 p.m.
Witnesses said truck driver Steve Burris, impacted by the accident, unhooked his forklift and cleared most of it off the road.
"Other people got out of their cars and helped clear the road too," the witness said. "Everyone pitching in to help clear the road gives you faith in humanity."
Steve Burris
"It all happened so fast," Burris remembered.
He said he slammed into one of the 1,000-pound bundles head-on and that his truck was "actually up on top of a couple bundles of cardboard."
"His whole load came off the trailer and then off the interstate and then in front of me and all across 95," Burris said.
The semi that lost its load.
Burris said the wreck left his truck's axle damaged. Since he was stuck, he decided to spring into action.
"After I got out of the truck I called my boss and let him know what was going on. Then I got on the forklift and tried to clear the road out because I knew 95 was shut down"
Video shows Burris on the interstate with his forklift. Without his quick reaction, it could have taken several hours to clear a path for cars to get through.
But Burris downplayed what he did and said he was not a hero, but was “just a helping hand."
The driver of the truck that lost control was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Burris' truck was towed away and he said he hoped his boss would give him the rest of the day off.
