Truck driver killed when semi crashes into Calumet City house
BY MONIFA THOMAS Staff Reporter/mjthomas@ May 24, 2012 7:28AM
A semi-truck driver was killed early Thursday after crashing into a house in south suburban Calumet City, an official said. | Brian Jackson~Sun-Times
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Updated: May 24, 2012 8:02PM
A Georgia truck driver was killed and at least one other person was hospitalized early Thursday after the truck crashed into a house in south suburban Calumet City.
The driver, Joseph Foster, 37, of Talmo, Ga., was killed near the intersection of Michigan City Road and Torrence Avenue when his semi crashed into a car before hitting the building around 1 a.m.
Another person was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, an emergency official said.
Tyler Weightman, who was hit by Foster’s truck, told WGN-TV that he and his 20-year-old sister were driving home from Bible study when the semi veered into his lane.
“I said, ‘Whoa, what is he doing? Like is he going to move? What’s going on?’” Weightman said. “I start slowing down, I try to stop and I just see him come after me. So I’m just sitting there, watching him about to crash into me. So we crash and we spin around and then I hear the trailer fall on the back of the car.
“Me and my sister were safe. We crawled out,” Weightman said.
Weightman, who was dressed as a zombie at the Bible study to show how “God made us alive,” said that he thanks God for surviving the accident.
“I believe it was truly God that saved us,” he said. “So many things could have happened. The trailer could have hit in the front. I thank God so much.”
Don Hartkon told WGN-TV that he woke up early Thursday when his house was struck by the truck.
“I heard a screeching of brakes and then I heard a bang and then the whole house exploded,” he said.
