Ta-dah! Choking trucker saved when high-speed crash dislodges fruit

A serious accident likely saved a trucker's life Tuesday near Reading, Pennsylvania. Richard Paylor, 55, of Bucks County, was reportedly eating an apple behind the wheel of his tractor-trailer when a piece of the fruit got lodged in his throat, causing him to choke. According to the Reading Eagle, Paylor subsequently blacked out and slumped over the steering wheel.

As the story goes, Paylor's big rig then bounced off a guardrail and hit a concrete wall. The impact dislodged the apple from his throat and likely saved his life. Before Tuesday, Paylor had been accident-free for his entire 23-year career.

Paylor was taken to the hospital with a cut on his head and a slight fracture of one of his vertebrae, but very much alive. For his part, Paylor says he's sorry caused a traffic jam and admits he's glad to be alive.

[Source: Reading Eagle | Image: Emedco]