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Runaway dump truck driver who crashed in Greenfield out of hospital

Driver suffered from medical condition
Posted at 11:20 AM, May 20, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-20 12:20:45-04

GREENFIELD -- The driver of a runaway dump truck is out of the hospital and thanked the officer who helped stop his 29,000-pound truck.

Paul Tiedt, 61, has bruises up and down his arms. Those are the only signs he's been in an accident. He doesn't remember what happened.

"I feel fortunate that the officer was behind me," said Tiedt. "Officer Enters thank you!"

Greenfield police officer James Enters and a good Samaritan helped stop the runaway truck. The incident happened Thursday night, May 17.

The officer spotted the dump truck slowly rolling through the intersection of Layton and Loomis. It hit a pole, went through a parking lot and then it eventually stopped on 43rd Street after hitting a street sign.

"It could have been devastating. Are you kidding absolutely devastating. I could have killed people," said Tiedt.

"I was crawling. I watched video of it. I was barely moving. Thank goodness," he said.

Tiedt is a diabetic. Doctors believe he suffered from insulin shock and lost consciousness.