An 18-year-old driving back to college is lucky to be alive after his vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic and hit a tractor trailer head on, resulting in a massive, fiery explosion.
Sam Lachance of Manchester suffered a brain injury, a broken foot, burns on his body and a ruptured spleen in the accident.
His father says it's a miracle that he survived.
Marc Cramer and his son John were driving behind Lachance's Jeep Wrangler on Route 101 in Dublin, New Hampshire, around 10 a.m. on Jan. 22 and captured the crash on their dashcam video. The impact ruptured the truck's fuel tank, causing a large fire.
"Everything stopped. It was super slow motion," Marc Cramer said. "I yelled out, 'Lord help me,' as loud as I could."
John Cramer lifted Lachance out of the burning car, and with the help of a stranger, he and his father carried the teen to the side of the road.
"When your adrenaline rush is really going, you don't really think about what's going to happen next," John Cramer said. "You're thinking about what you're going to do at that moment."
Local
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area.
Lachance's parents said despite all that he has endured, their son is conscious and talking.
"To see him where he is today is absolutely, hands down, a miracle," his father, Daniel Lachance, said.
It's still not clear what caused Sam Lachance to cross over into oncoming traffic. His parents said he will likely be in the hospital for months.
The truck driver, Jean Morency, 66, of Nashua, also suffered minor injuries in the crash.
