2 Florida deputies survive crash with semi truck

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Alachua County Deputy Joe Yarborough and his partner were responding to a wreck early Wednesday morning, when the pair became crash victims themselves.

"By the time we reached the grass, we were hit," he explained.  

When the deputy says "hit," he's referring to a now wrecked Sheriff's Office SUV.

"As I kinda looked up, seen a semi bearing down on us.  At about the same time, we grabbed each other and jumped into a ditch."

The pair had just arrived on scene and were gathering gear and equipment to stop traffic, when they saw the semi truck headed their way.  The Florida Highway Patrol estimates the semi truck hit the SUV at about 40-50 miles an hour. The impact leaving the car barely recognizable.

"It twisted the frame on the vehicle, cracked a partition.  It was a very hard impact," said Deputy Yarborough, who's only on his third day on the job. "It's a part of the job. I know what I signed up for. It's a dangerous job."

The young deputy has a message for drivers.

"We're out there on the job. We're on the road. We want to get home safe to our families, so pay attention."

After the crash, both deputies got right back to work securing the crash scene.