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A decade later: Ben's Wild Ride

A decade later, Ben Carpenter says he still gets asked about his wild ride.

When it comes to memorable stories, this one went down as one of the most viewed in 2007. It's the image of a man in a wheelchair stuck to the front of a semi. A decade later, Ben Carpenter says he still gets asked about his wild ride.

"I was crossing the street, and that's when the truck, I got caught on the front of it. I was trying to yell for help, but no one could hear me,” said Ben Carpenter, 32.

It happened in June 2007. For Ben, his father, Don, and mother, Joyce, it's a day they will never forget.

It was warm and sunny—perfect for a ride in Paw Paw. Ben, who has muscular dystrophy, went with his caregiver who was on her bicycle. He always pushed his wheelchair a bit faster than she could pedal.

“He went ahead of her to the intersection, turned left and went across, in front of the truck. He got out there a little late and the light turned green," said Don.

As the semi moved forward, Ben turned his wheelchair to go back. "He got hooked on the grill and off they went."

The truck driver continued West on Red Arrow Highway. He reached 55 mph. Ben's caregiver had no idea what happened. "So, a lady in the car at the intersection told her. He's on the front of the truck. She called 911 too."

During the call, a witness said in a panicked voice, "There is a westbound truck dragging a man in a wheelchair. He did not see him crossing in front when the light changed."

In another call, Ben’s caregiver said, "My client is in a wheelchair and he went to cross the stree. The semi didn't stop, and he's still going and on the front."

Nearly two miles into the ride, two undercover police officers spotted Ben on the grill. They pulled the truck over. The driver had no idea why. "He just didn't realize that; he was scared."

The wheelchair was removed from the semi and Ben was taken to the hospital. His mom was working there when he came in. "I thought he's lucky. Thinking of everything that could’ve happened. As a nurse, I thought the worst, but it didn't happen," said Joyce.

That night, the Carpenter's fielded calls from all the local TV stations and the major networks. They did dozens of interviews. At one point the David Letterman show called and invited him to New York. The Carpenters declined the interview. But, over the years, Joyce kept the news articles. The scrap book is titled, Ben’s Wild Ride. The family says they laugh about it now. “We feel fortunate that Ben wasn't hurt.”

“It's amazing I survived,” said Ben.

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