Leander couple escapes fiery head-on collision with hardly a scratch
LEANDER, Texas - The head-on collision that crushed the front of Jeremy Fredrick-Rodgers’ Ford Fusion happened January 26th. Nearly a week later Jeremy and his wife Sarah were still trying to figure out how they survived.
"Just that, I'm glad we're alive. I mean possessions, things like that, you know, the first instinct is survival," said Jeremy Fredrick-Rodgers.
The Leander couple was driving down Nameless Rd, heading home Wednesday evening. At the time it was dark and near the Williamson County line they caught a glimpse of a truck approaching in the opposite lane.
"I remember seeing headlights of a vehicle, and then I see sparks on the road. And my first thought was what? What is that," said Jeremy.
Sarah said she only remembers the impact.
"The impact was, it was extremely loud, and it was just very- it took us back, and we had no idea what was happening. I mean, we didn't even know what came at us."
What hit them was a makeshift trailer with an ATV on it. The trailer detached from the truck. The impact was so hard it ignited a fire.
Dispatchers warned the first responders to expect the worst.
"Callers on the scene reported they thought someone was deceased," said Lt. Brannon Stengel.
As the emergency crew from Travis County ESD 1 ran toward the flames, Jeremy and Sarah struggled to escape them.
"The fire started instantly," said Jeremy.
FOX 7 asked how he was able to take action during the frightening situation.
"I don't think I had time to panic," said Jeremy.
Images of the car in the daylight show the charred passenger cabin where the two nearly died.
"Both our doors wouldn't open. The airbags were in the way, we had to push ourselves out. I pushed her out as hard as I could with my shoulder, and then I bent over, kicked my door, and they finally came open and ran around to the other side to make sure she actually climbed out. And then we ran," said Jeremy.
Sarah said Jeremy grabbed her hand.
"And we just started running like the movies. It was crazy," said Sarah.
How they got out with hardly a scratch remains a mystery.
"When I saw the vehicle, I was also believing that there were occupants inside," said Fireman Richard Webber.
Not finding any victims also surprised Fireman Travis Johnson.
"Yes it was very nice to find the two occupants were both out of the car, they were fine and no complaints."
The driver of the truck did not stick around. There was a reason for that. Investigators tell FOX 7 the ATV he was hauling on the trailer was stolen out of Callahan County, near Abilene, back in 2020. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office is looking for information leading to the driver's identification.
"I hope they catch him. But if I could say anything, I would say I'm glad it was me and not somebody that couldn't help themselves," said Jeremy.
Along with losing their car, the couple lost all of their IDs. A friend is loaning them a vehicle and a GoFundMe page has also been set up.
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