Road Block
Avoiding a crash is at the top of mind for a professional driver at all times.
Yet, as police pursued a man wanted in a homicide investigation across multiple counties in California, truck driver Ahmed Shaaban knew he had to help.
“You don’t think, because if you stop and think you are not going to act,” Shaaban told Land Line Now in April.
Thankfully for everyone involved, Shaaban was in the right place at the right time.
The April 6 chase reached speeds of more than 90 mph, according to KTTV in Los Angeles, and actually passed by Shaaban, who was on his way to pick up a load and informed of the incident by a friend he was on the phone with, on two occasions.
Trucker Ahmed Shaaban’s rig was damaged when he used it to assist police.
“I saw him pass by once and approach again in my rearview mirror,” Shaaban said. “I have a big truck and can block the intersection. Cops were surrounding the whole intersection and when he turned on the street I was on, I decided to block the whole thing (intersection). This was the whole idea. I wasn’t thinking he was going to hit me. I had to stop him, the way he was driving he was going to hurt someone.”
Shaaban’s plan worked, as the suspect was unable to maneuver around his truck, colliding with it and allowing police to apprehend 35-year-old Michael Caleb Reed, who was deemed a person of interest by police in a March 28 shooting death in Oildale, Calif.
After the collision, the scene turned a bit chaotic as police moved in to apprehend Reed. Shaaban said he kept his composure as he exited the vehicle.
“I walk slowly I guess,” Shaaban said about his demeanor in the video footage.
“Everyone was yelling, ‘Run, run, run,’ but I was just calm. They (police) were very supportive and let me know they had my back. When it happened, there was nothing they could do other than say thank you.”
Shaaban credits his instinct to help to his time on the road.
“I help people out all the time,” he said. “Just last week in Colorado, I helped put out a fire on an RV. When you drive as much as I do, you see so much. It just teaches you to react. I’m not the only trucker. There are a lot of people who will do stuff like this.”
According to KGET.com, Reed pleaded not guilty to carjacking on April 16. He also pleaded no contest to reckless evading of police. As of press time, Reed had not been charged with the shooting death of 40-year-old Michael Lewis. The Bakersfield, Calif., TV station reported that prosecutors sent the case back to sheriff’s detectives for further investigation.
A GoFundMe page had been set up to help pay for damages to Shaaban’s truck, which he dedicated to his mother. As of press time, it was unclear what insurance would cover due to the nature of the collision. LL
Land Line Now Senior Correspondent Scott Thompson contributed to this report.