EXCLUSIVE: Bridgeport truck driver whose flatbed was struck in fiery I-95 crash says he’s grateful to be alive

The driver of the flatbed truck involved in the fiery crash on I-95 said on Monday that he’s grateful to be alive.

Bridgeport resident Hazeth Aracena, 35, spoke about the accident that caused I-95 to be shut down last Thursday.

Aracena said he works for a trucking company based in West Haven and was heading to Philadelphia to pick up a load when his tractor-trailer was struck by both the tanker truck that fueled the blaze, and the car that police say caused the accident.

His attorney, Dennis Bradley, said Aracena rushed to pull the driver of the car to safety.

“There was fire everywhere and this guy said I’m going to answer the call and save the life of another human being,” Bradley said. “That’s the type of stuff that you see only in Hollywood movies."

"Everything was on fire, my truck the other two cars," said Aracena.

Aracena was one of the three men involved in the crash that ended up shutting down the interstate.

"I can't believe I was part of that. I didn't know how I was still alive, to tell you the truth," he said.

Despite suffering serious injuries to his leg and back, Aracena said he rushed over to rescue the driver of the car, whose vehicle was engulfed in flames.

The proud father of six young children said he hopes other drivers will learn from this catastrophic incident to drive more carefully around trucks especially when changing lanes.

"We cannot stop that quick like a regular car," Aracena said.

Aracena said he just wants to heal from his injuries and get back to a normal life.