Truck Driver Meets Good Samaritan After Crash Rescue

MODESTO (CBS13) – The truck driver who survived a horrific crash Tuesday met the woman who risked her own life to save him in a tearful reunion at the hospital.

Sandra Gardere, a medical assistant, raced to the cab of Anthony Mata's big rig after it crossed the median on Highway 99 north of Manteca and slammed into concrete supports of the Louis Avenue overpass Tuesday morning, separating the cab from the trailer.

Using a towel to keep pressure on a major head wound, Gardere stayed with Mata inside the cab and tried to keep him conscious even as the fire spread, causing tires to explode one after another.

"Every time the tires would explode I would hide behind the door and be like, 'Please don't let it be the gas tank, because I'm keeping pressure and I'm not leaving him,' " Gardere told CBS13 on Tuesday.

Gardere visited Mata at the hospital and said he called her his "angel," crediting her with saving his life. Despite his head injury, he said he remembers her efforts and bravery amidst the dangerous situation.

"There were some tearful times," she said. "He was laughing, we were cracking jokes, every time we could crack a joke he was like, 'Oww.' "

Mata's treatment is going well, and he may be able to leave the hospital within a day.

Crews spent more than six hours Tuesday clearing the wreck and checking the overpass for structural safety. No other injuries were reported.