Truck driver Miles Heagy and his four-legged companion Rowdy are on the mend together after a harrowing collision with an alleged drunk driver earlier this month. The pair were traveling along Interstate 5 in Redding, California on May 6 when their semi-truck was struck by an out-of-control SUV, causing their vehicle to overturn.
According to authorities, 68-year-old Sheila Acker failed to navigate a curve, crashing through a guardrail and down an embankment before colliding with Heagy’s truck. Local news outlet KRCRTV reported that Heagy suffered moderate injuries with an expected recovery time of about one month.
Rowdy, who regularly accompanies Heagy on long hauls, didn’t escape unscathed. The loyal canine sustained two broken ribs—one displaced—along with head trauma, and later developed kennel cough, as CDL Life noted in their coverage.
Following the accident, Heagy and Rowdy reunited with Heagy’s fiancee Debra before making their way back home to Tri-Cities, Washington. Veterinarians expect Rowdy to recover within a few weeks.
“I’m lucky that she hit me instead of, like we were saying earlier, the car that has a family in it,” Heagy explained. “I mean she could of killed somebody. I mean, I’m painful but grateful she hit me and not something else.”
Court documents show Acker faces three charges of driving under the influence causing bodily injury, with prior convictions complicating her case. She remains held at Shasta County Jail on $75,000 bond with her next court appearance scheduled for May 21.
Meanwhile, Heagy and Rowdy continue their recovery together at home—a silver lining to an otherwise traumatic experience.