LUBBOCK, Texas – A West Lubbock homeowner is counting her blessings after a harrowing experience late Thursday night. A Ford pickup truck, pulling a horse trailer, careened into her home, narrowly missing her. Lubbock Fire Rescue responded quickly, working through the night to stabilize the heavily damaged structure.
Josie Salvantez was in her kitchen, putting away cake from her great-grandchild’s birthday celebration, when the truck crashed into her living room. Just feet from the point of impact, Salvantez initially believed it was a tornado. “I thought this was it for me,” she recounted. “I never imagined it would be a truck.”
Salvantez described a sudden, deafening crash, followed by debris – sheetrock and insulation – raining down around her. “The next thing I saw was this truck and horses in a big trailer,” she said. Trapped in the debris, Salvantez managed to escape through a small opening between the truck and the trailer. “I was yelling for help, but nobody could hear me,” she explained. “Finally, I saw this gap and I just got out.”
The crash occurred near the intersection of 13th Street and Inler Avenue. Salvantez said the truck’s driver told her he was trying to avoid another vehicle when the accident happened. “There was a car in front of him, and he tried to pass it,” she explained. “When he turned into the street, he lost control.”
By the time Lubbock Fire Rescue arrived, the driver and the horses in the trailer were safe. However, the fire department faced a complex situation, working carefully to stabilize the compromised structure. “We go to a lot of vehicle versus building incidents, but not a one-ton truck with a 30-foot horse trailer attached,” noted Jon Blair, a Lubbock Fire Rescue lieutenant.
Firefighters worked diligently to secure the building and prevent further collapse as they worked to remove the truck and trailer. “We had to secure the building around the truck to make sure it wouldn’t collapse when we moved it,” Blair said.
Salvantez’s home suffered significant damage. “My table was right here, but now it’s gone. It ended up at the back door,” she said, pointing out the destruction. “My washer and dryer are destroyed, and everything else lamps, sofa, recliner just gone.”
Despite the extensive damage, Salvantez expressed profound gratitude for her survival. “I can’t replace everything, my pictures, my memories,” Salvantez said, her voice filled with emotion. “It’s hard to lose everything you’ve worked so hard for.”
While her bedroom remained largely intact, Salvantez confirmed that the impact caused the pipes to burst, leading to water damage. She’s currently staying with family and is working with her insurance company to assess the next steps. Lubbock Fire Rescue’s quick response and careful handling of the situation likely prevented further structural collapse, potentially saving Salvantez’s home from complete destruction.
