BILLINGS — Highway 212 near mile marker 87 in Montana experienced treacherous whiteout conditions on Wednesday, leading to a series of accidents and a narrow escape for a local law enforcement official.
Carbon County Undersheriff Kelly Carrington was on the scene responding to a wreck when he witnessed the weather deteriorate rapidly.
Watch the video here:
“You can’t see. You can’t hear,” Carrington said of the conditions. “It was a split second."
The blizzard conditions transformed previously clear roads into dangerously low-visibility situations. Carrington was responding to an earlier crash and helping a driver get into his own law enforcement vehicle before a near tragedy happened.
"I heard the collision, I heard the vehicle strike the other cars," he said.
In a matter of moments, a truck barreled out of the fog speeding towards Carrington's car. The shocking moment was caught on his dashcam, which shows Carrington running and hiding for safety behind his vehicle.
“There was only one way to run,” Carrington said.
The truck crashes into Carrington's vehicle, causing considerable damage. Somehow, no one involved in the incident was injured.
"I'm mostly thankful for the gentleman that was able to get in my car," Carrington said. "Had he stayed where he was, it would’ve been very serious, if not fatal, injuries for both of us."
Carrington said he hopes the near-death incident serves as a reminder to drivers to take it slow this time of year.
"Don't be in a hurry, leave early and arrive alive," Carrington said.
