Toyota Sienna Dragged 16 Miles in Blizzard by Semi Truck
A Michigan family had the fright of their lives Wednesday morning when their 2001 Toyota Sienna hit the back of a semi truck, got lodged underneath, and was dragged a whopping 16 miles before the truck driver pulled over into a rest area and the family was able to escape. Amazingly, no one was seriously hurt, but it goes to show just how treacherous winter driving can be.
The Menz family—Pamela, Matthew, and their two adult children—were returning home from vacation in Florida when the incident occurred. They were driving on I-75 in blizzard conditions, unknowingly behind an extremely slow-moving semi whose driver did not have his hazard lights on. The Sienna came upon the truck quickly, and Mr. Menz hit the brakes in an attempt to avoid a collision, but his minivan was no match for the snow. The vehicle crashed into the back of the semi and was wedged underneath. The semi driver had no idea the minivan was there.
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Upon hitting the truck, Matthew Menz immediately called 911. The van had lost power, so even if it got unstuck from the semi the family wouldn’t have had control of the vehicle and would likely have ended up in an even stickier situation. After what must have seemed like hours, the truck came to a stop at a rest area. The 911 call had lasted 23 minutes, and in that time the driver had no idea he had inadvertently picked up four hitchhikers.
The Sienna after it came to a stop
The Menz family was sent to the hospital; luckily, no one sustained any serious injuries. But with the frigid weather currently gripping the Midwest and north, it’s important to learn from stories like this and ensure we’re driving more carefully than ever.
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