Desperate 911 Call as Semi Drags Minivan 16 Miles Through Snowstorm

Police say a truck driver didn't know the minivan was stuck under his truck.

ByABC News
January 7, 2015, 6:26 PM

— -- A family in a minivan called 911 this morning when their car was stuck under a moving semi-truck in Michigan, police said.

A dispatcher received a call at 1:57 a.m. this morning from the family of Matthew Menz, 46, who was traveling northbound on I-75, south of Roscommon, Michigan, according to the Roscommon County Sheriff's Office.

Because to "poor visibility from the snow," the minivan rear-ended the semi-truck pulling a large trailer, the sheriff's office said. Police received a call from a passenger of the minivan, which was stuck.

PHOTO: The truck driver didn't realize a minivan was attached to his truck, so he drove for a reported 16 miles.
The truck driver didn't realize a minivan was attached to his truck, so he drove for a reported 16 miles.

"The caller's minivan became lodged under the trailer and was being pulled down I-75 unbeknownst to the driver of the semi-truck," police said in a statement.

The four minivan occupants could not see due to snow and couldn't tell dispatchers their exact location, according to the sheriff's office.

The 911 call between the minivan and the dispatcher reveals a tense situation.

PHOTO: The minivan with a family inside became stuck under the back bumper of a truck.
The minivan with a family inside became stuck under the back bumper of a truck.

“It was snow blinding. We ran into the back of a semi-truck and he’s not stopping and our car is embedded underneath of it," the caller from the minivan said. “Our windshields have completely shattered. I can’t see nothing.”

"I just want to get off the back of this thing," the caller added.

The Crawford County Sheriff's Office eventually located the vehicle, south of Grayling on northbound I-75.

"Deputies successfully stopped the vehicles without incident, 16 miles from where the original collision had occurred," police said. "The four occupants of the minivan were transported by ambulance to Grayling Mercy Hospital for evaluation. However, no serious injuries are suspected."

ABC News' Whitney Lloyd contributed to this report.