ERIE COUNTY, OHIO, Ohio — Days after a massive 46-car pile-up on the Ohio Turnpike took the lives of four, one of the survivors of the accident shared a firsthand account of the scene.
Tom Hanus, a 40-year retired tool and die maker from Sylvania, was taking the turnpike Friday to visit his granddaughter when he suddenly found himself slamming the brakes to avoid the biggest pile-up he'd ever seen in his life.
But it was too late.
His truck's grille crumpled on impact and a semi-truck blocked his vehicle from moving.
Hanus said he spent minutes processing the scene around him.
"Hearing all the screams of people and people running away from the accident, I knew this was really bad," he said.
The wind chill was dipping below minus 30 degrees and the snow was blowing across the turnpike.
While the heat was still running in his vehicle, Hanus said he couldn't ignore the cries for help.
"My granddaughter was on the phone and she didn't want me to get out because the vehicle was safe and warm, but I needed to get out and help somebody," he said.
Hanus said he stepped out of his car and found multiple first responders nearby and immediately offered up his truck as a place to keep someone warm.
Five minutes later, Hanus said first responders returned with a barefoot young man from Haiti who was wearing nothing but a t-shirt and pants, and likely suffering from hypothermia.
"He was really, really cold," Hanus said. "He was shaking, I was rubbing his hands, working on his arms, put a sleeping bag around him trying to keep him warm."
Hanus continued caring for the young man for almost an hour before he saw first responders again, who were able to escort the young man to a more secure location to warm up. Hanus said the young man was gone before he even learned his name.
"I was doing the best I could, so I'm just thankful I was there to be able to help that young man," Hanus said.
Hours after his truck joined the mass of twisted metal on the turnpike, Hanus was bussed away to a service garage where he was able to get some food and warm coffee before his family came to pick him up.
Now safe and back home, Hanus said he doesn't look back on the incident with malice, and he believes it was God putting him in the right place at the right time.
"He must have had me be there for a reason to help that man, and hopefully he's alright," Hanus said.
Hanus continues to pray for the other victims of the crash, especially those who lost their lives that day, but he said this event has proven to him that even in the worst of crises, there is hope.