EXCLUSIVE: Dothan man rescues driver from overturned dump truck after it crashed into gas pumps, caught fire, “We gotta go”

DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — A Wiregrass Youth football and baseball coach leapt into action, possibly saving a man’s life, after narrowly avoiding a dump truck as it stormed into the gas station while he pumped gas nearby.

At roughly 12:30 p.m. on August 19, a dump truck carrying a full load of cargo traveling down Montgomery Highway jumped the curb at the intersection of Murphy Mill Road, became airborne, and collided directly with the gas pump as it overturned.

This is what Jason Jewell, a Dothan resident who coaches baseball and football for children 12 and under in Wicksburg, said he saw as he pumped gas at the Marathon, where it all went down.

“I saw him swerve to the left, and then he kinda jumped the curb, going airborne, he hit the structure; I heard a solid explosion because I watched everything unfold right there.”

The dump truck began leaking roughly 25 gallons of diesel fuel, which caused a large fire at the pump, which could pose an extremely dangerous threat, so Jewell quickly told the clerk to turn the pumps off as he ran back to the truck.

“I saw him laying, kinda, down in the bottom of the truck through the windshield, so I climbed up on top of the truck, and the door, it was hard to get open, we just grabbed the door and pulled the door up, and grabbed him by the shoulders and got him up outta there. I said, ‘Come on, we gotta go, we just- I don’t know what’s gonna happen with the gas tanks.'”

With his action, Jewell very well could have saved the life of the driver, who was soon after transported to the hospital with unknown injuries. With the driver and Jewell safely out of the way of the fire, Dothan Fire Department was already on its way.

PICTURES: Gas station, pumps catch fire after dump truck overturns into Dothan gas station

“Dothan Fire Department was quick to their response, extinguishing the fuel fire at the gas pumps, also keeping the fuel from leaking any further, and again preventing it from entering the waterway, which is very critical from an environmental standpoint,” said Mark Powell, the Houston County EMA Director.

Though there was extensive damage to the canopy, gas pumps, and dump truck, the quick action of these individuals could have prevented a far worse disaster.

The undamaged pumps nearby will also be kept out of order for an indeterminate amount of time as crews work to ensure safety and repair the damages the station sustained.

“Outside contractors have been called in to help with the cleanup,” Powell added. “The safety of the public is definitely paramount in our mind, and that’s the thing we wanna focus on first, not necessarily how long the gas station is gonna be closed, but you know what’s the best thing for the public, and again we’re gonna work with the owners.”

Houston County EMA Director Mark Powell thanked first responders for their quick, and efficient response.

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