The man behind the viral video that has racked up millions of views, shares his account of what happened.
SAN ANTONIO — A dramatic crash caught on video and shared widely online shows a truck slamming into a highway sign support on Interstate 35 N early Saturday, sending the sign crashing down and snarling traffic on the highway for hours.
The crash happened just after 8 a.m. on northbound I-35 near the New Braunfels Avenue exit. Video recorded by a passing driver shows the truck veering off the roadway and striking a pillar that supports an overhead sign, causing it to collapse across the highway.
The video has since racked up millions of views.
Amador Rodriguez, who recorded the footage, said he was driving his son to a basketball game when he noticed the truck behaving erratically near downtown San Antonio.
“It was shocking,” Rodriguez said. “But to be honest, I kind of saw it coming.”
Rodriguez said the truck merged onto the highway and crossed multiple lanes before appearing to lose control.
“He just went all the way across the lanes,” he said.
As the truck continued north, Rodriguez said it appeared to hydroplane or lose traction but kept moving forward. Concerned for his safety, he stayed behind the vehicle and became increasingly alert.
When the truck passed under U.S. Highway 281, Rodriguez said he sensed something was wrong and began recording with his phone. Moments later, the truck left the roadway and slammed into the sign support just before the New Braunfels Avenue exit.
“I felt panic,” Rodriguez said. “I was like, is this thing going to come all the way down? Is it going to stop?”
Debris fell onto the roadway as the sign collapsed, prompting Rodriguez to carefully accelerate and move away from the area. He immediately stopped recording and called San Antonio police but did not stop at the scene, saying he did not want to put his son in danger.
According to a police report, the driver of the truck — a 29-year-old man — told officers he was cut off by another vehicle and lost control. He was taken to a hospital with minor injuries and is expected to recover.
The crash caused major traffic delays as crews worked to clear debris and assess damage to the overpass structure.
Rodriguez said he is grateful the situation did not end more tragically.
“You just have to be aware of your surroundings all the time,” he said. “I’m very thankful that that sign did not fall on me or my son.”