‘Am I going to die?’: Driver recalls split-second to avoid crash before car went flying

GASTONIA, N.C. — Michael Barrett says he had two seconds to make an impossible decision: crash into an oncoming van that cut in front of his path or swerve and take a chance to avoid hitting a house.

The Gastonia Police Department shared a video of Barrett’s decision on Tuesday. Channel 9 shared the video, which shows a white van turn in front of Barrett on N. New Hope Road.

Barrett’s car swerved into the air and ended up in a house.

While the camera caught the view from above, Barrett told Channel 9′s Ken Lemon that it doesn’t compare to the view he had from behind the wheel.

“I missiled in right through here,” Barrett told Lemon.

Barrett works for a transport service, and he had a pregnant passenger in the car with him.

On Wednesday, they met Lemon at the intersection. It was their first time back since the crash on Friday.

“It’s playing back in my mind,” Barrett said.

The memory was so intense that he had to step away for a second. When he regrouped, he told Lemon he couldn’t see the driver of that white van from his car, because the driver turned from the wrong lane.

“He wasn’t even in the turning lane,” Barrett said.

By the time he saw the van, it was too late.

“I didn’t have but a couple of seconds to do anything,” Barrett said.

He said he turned the wheel barely missed a utility pole. The car then hit the corner plot and went airborne, and Barrett had one thought.

“God, am I going to die?” Barrett recalled thinking.

Thankfully, he wasn’t seriously hurt.

The 32-year-old woman who was in the car with him is seven months pregnant. She told Lemon she is bruised and having some trouble walking, but she and her child will be OK.

Gastonia police search for driver who caused another car to slam into home

They both said they’re stunned that the driver of the van stopped for a moment but then kept going after their car crashed.

“You didn’t even bother to stop to see anything, what is wrong with you?” Barrett said.

The passenger didn’t want to be shown on camera, but she had a message for the driver in the van.

“Turn yourself in, because I could have lost my life, my baby’s life, and the man could have lost his life too,” she said.

She told Lemon that while she has more medical bills from the crash, she’s glad her three-year-old daughter wasn’t in the car with her that day.

Barrett said his car was totaled in the accident.

Gastonia police are still asking for help finding the driver of that van.

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