Mercedes Trucker Risks Traveling Through Harvey
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UPDATE (8/29): A local trucker who drove in the direction of Harvey last week is back home safe.
Last Friday, Isaac Perales told CHANNEL 5 NEWS he accepted a last minute job and was to drive an 18-wheeler to Ft. Worth through Corpus Christi.
After speaking to us about Expressway 77's shutdown, he was forced to travel along US 281. He said the dangerous conditions were still felt.
"There was a lot of bad accidents out there. Cars too... Also commercial vehicles, but as well as pedestrians that were involved in accidents and caused delays on the road," he said.
Perales said at one point, the conditions became too dangerous. He had to pull over for three hours for the worst of the storm to pass.
During that time, he said he felt his trailer being moved by the wind. However, he made it home safely to his wife and children.
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HARLINGEN – A local truck driver says he’s willing to drive through the hurricane to provide for his family.
Isaac Perales is a Mercedes native. He started driving 18-wheelers two years ago to provide for his wife and four children.
Today, he walked into work to pick up his check. His bosses asked him a last minute favor. A driver canceled on a load that needs to be delivered by the morning. Hesitant Perales answered the call.
“I didn’t really plan to go but when you need money you have to do what you have to do so,” Perales said.
Perales’s truckload needs to be delivered to Fort Worth by 2 a.m. He plans on taking the quickest route, even if means a brush with danger.
“Yeah the weather is pretty bad out here depending on where we travel through, but I take the 77 and from what I hear there is some pretty bad weather out there. Corpus Christi is getting it pretty good,” Perales explained.
He drives for Valley Trucking Co. Inc. He said the dispatchers at the company’s headquarters are monitoring the weather conditions.
In the event the storm intensifies they will alert him immediately.
He explained in poor weather conditions the storm isn’t a truck driver’s only concern.
“Be careful with the traffic around you because some other people make sudden stops you know and your hauling a big rig and it takes you a lot more to stop,” Perales told CHANNEL 5 NEWS.
He explained he’s inspected his truck more times than usual. He’s relying on this equipment to get him to Fort Worth on time and safely.
When we asked if he’s worried about the strong winds blowing the truck over he said, “It’s possible it could happen. It’s a 50/50 chance that I’m taking with my life. You know going out there, and it’s a truck driver’s job that we have to do,” Perales told CHANNEL 5 NEWS.
Moments later, Perales jumped in the cab of his truck. He turned on the vehicle and headed into the direction of the storm.
Perales said if at any time the road conditions become too dangerous he plans to pull the truck over and wait out the storm.
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