A group of Alaska Airlines flight attendants narrowly avoided serious injury after the van taking them to the airport from a downtown Nashville hotel veered off the highway early on Saturday morning.
One of the flight attendants involved in the horror smash that ended up with the van flipping onto its side after crashing through a safety barrier and sliding 30 feet down a steep embankment said they were only saved because they were wearing their seatbelts.
Chris Hill has now implored other flight attendants to wear their seatbelts, saying that one of the only reasons he wore his was because the driver reminded them twice to buckle up before setting off for the airport.
“I don’t think I would be here right now if I didn’t have it on,” Hill wrote in a now-viral post on Facebook. “I was on the left side of the van and would have been thrown to the right side as it fell down 30ft. Just be safe and wear a seatbelt on your ride to and from the airport… I think it saved my life today!!!”
Last January, six American Airlines crew members on a layover in Delhi, India, were seriously injured after the van taking them to see the world-famous Taj Mahal was involved in a pile-up on a six-lane expressway in Uttar Pradesh.
The injured aircrew included two pilots and four flight attendants. Two of the wounded crew members were transported to the hospital in critical condition and had to remain in India for weeks while they received life-saving treatment.
The accident reportedly occurred after thick fog descended on the Yamuna Expressway, which led to the van driver colliding with a large truck.
The van they were riding in was hit by a speeding SUV. Get your facts right before you report.
Does it make this situation less tragic because the cause of the accident is not detailed? You sound very angry. I am thankful no one died or is permanently disabled. Chris is reminding all of us to wear our seat belts, even when we are travelling on the ground. Show some respect and comfort to those involved. Let law enforcement deal with the guilty party.