Driver Caught In Middle Of Drag Race

A man driving to pick up his wife at the airport is caught in the middle of a drag race. James Stephens was seriously hurt and is being treated at Memorial Hospital.

The crash happened Monday night at the intersection of Milton E. Proby Parkway and Powers Boulevard.

Police said two cars were challenging each other in the southbound lanes of Powers and didn’t stop for a red light. One of the cars smashed Stephens’ SUV.

Stephens said he left home around 9 p.m. to pick up his wife Laura and doesn’t remember much after the crash.

“Next thing I remember is sitting in my car with my eyes closed thinking don’t move, don’t move, don’t move,” described Stephens.

Stephens said a man named Brian Burnett came into his SUV and helped hold his neck and keep him comfortable as he waited for emergency responders to arrive and cut him out of the vehicle.

“As soon as paramedics had me, he (Brian) went to the airport and got my wife and brought her to the hospital … so she wasn’t left hanging,” he said.

Stephens described his numerous injuries from pain in his shoulders to cuts on his face. The crash also caused his left lung to collapse and cracked his sternum and two ribs.

“I took a lap around the hospital floor, it felt like I ran five miles,” he said.

While he can’t understand why a man would be so careless and drag race on a busy road, he isn’t angry. “In some way, it’s the randomness of life. You get hit by an idiot racing the street, you could die of pneumonia,” said Stephens.

He is also astonished by the kind acts of another. “I’ve never known anyone so selfless,” said Stephens about Burnett.

He expects to be in the hospital for a couple of days. Stephens will also spend some time with a physical therapist.

Police said the driver accused of hitting him faces charges including reckless driving. He was also injured in the crash and treated at Memorial Hospital. His condition is not known.

Police said another car involved in the drag race left the accident site.