Colorado Pastor Meets Man Who Saved His Life In Tanker Explosion
EATON, Colo. (CBS4) - Thousands of dollars have been raised for a Colorado pastor who was hurt in a fiery crash north of Oklahoma City.
Jason Newby, of Eaton, was injured last Friday while attempting to free one of the drivers.
A tanker truck plowed into another truck that was disabled on the shoulder of Interstate 35. Another driver who stopped to help noticed the driver of the tanker was trapped in the cab and he and Newby attempted to get the driver out of the burning truck.
"You know we thought there might be a reasonable chance we could make an effort there to try and do something," Newby told CBS4 in a phone interview while he recovers in an Oklahoma hospital. "He knew we were giving it a shot. He wasn't abandoned … trying to do something, you know."
Before they had a chance to help the tanker driver the tanker exploded and blew Newby and the other driver back. The explosion killed the tanker driver instantly. Newby suffered injuries to his head and leg from the explosion. Turner Lagpacan, who also stopped to help, is a Combat Medic and is credited with saving Newby's life.
"After the explosion it was Turner that rallied a couple other motorists and risked their lives and came back down into the danger zone and drug me to safety. It was Turner who applied the tourniquet and packed my wound with combat gauze," Newby said on his Facebook page.
Newby is a youth pastor at the Evangelical Free Church in Eaton, but he also is a Pit Pastor for Team Faith Action Sports Ministry. He was driving the Team Faith rig from Texas to Colorado when the incident occurred.
"I really thought that that was probably the end. I was in a bad place down there," Newby said. "I don't know why I was spared and life is precious man, and things can change in an instant."
Lagpacan recently paid Newby a visit in the hospital.
"(I) had the pleasure of visiting with Turner this evening! I owe my leg, and my life to Turner Lagpacan!" Newby said on his GoFundMe page.
"Newby's right femur has a rod running the entire length of the bone. There are two screws in his hip and two screws in his knee to secure the rod. There is a portion of his femur bone that is completely missing. Therefore, he has been ordered to put no weight on his right leg for a minimum of 6 weeks," a message on Newby's GoFundMe page said.
A GoFundMe page set up to help Newby had already raised more than $15,000 by Monday morning.
