WRAL's Julian Grace talks moment Raleigh police saved his life from a wrong-way driver
THEY HOPE TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER
MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
SHOOTING LATER IN THE WEEK.
TONIGHT WE HAVE A STORY OF
APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE
WRAL'S JULIAN GRACE WAS SAVED
BY RALEIGH POLICE FROM COMING
FACE TO FACE WITH A WRONG-WAY
DRIVER ON THE BELTLINE AT
NIGHT. HIS LIFE AND OTHERS
COULD HAVE CHANGED IN MERE
SECONDS.
>> SUDDENLY THOSE CRUISERS
FORMED ALMOST A STEEL CURTAIN
AND I COULDN'T GO AROUND THEM.
ONE TOP OF THAT, THEY SIMPLY
STOPPED.
>> AGGRAVATED. I'M FRUSTRATED.
I JUST WANT TO GO HOME.
AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHY WE ARE
AT A STANDSTILL ON A THREE-LANE
HIGHWAY WITH NO ACCIDENT IN
SIGHT. BUT AS I SAT THERE, A
WHITE PICKUP TRUCK HEADED THE
WRONG WAY COMES RIGHT INTO
FRAME.
AND THOSE OFFICERS POSITIONED
RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY BUMPER
WITH THE ONES IN HARM'S WAY.
IT WAS THE WEE HOURS OF THE
POST HAS BEEN REPOSTING BY
RALEIGH POLICE AND IT IS GOING
VIRAL.
>> TONIGHT, WE KNOW POLICE
RECEIVED SEVERAL 9-1-1, CALLS
REPORTING A WHITE PICKUP TRUCK
TRAVELING THE WRONG WAY ON
I-440, EASTBOUND SHAUN ROBINSON
WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH
DWI.
>> JULIAN IS HERE WITH US NOW.
THIS REALLY HITS HOME FOR SO
MANY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO THINK
ABOUT THIS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE HERE
TODAY IF RALEIGH POLICE HAD NOT
BEEN ON THE BELTLINE? YOU KNOW,
THAT IS SUCH A GREAT QUESTION.
AND I WOULD ONLY SAY IS ONLY
BECAUSE OF THE GRACE OF GOD
THAT I'M STILL HERE. HERE'S WHY
SAY THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN ON FOR
40 BEFORE, RIGHT? YOU GO DOWN
FOR 40 IS PRETTY DARK. YOU'RE
DRIVING ALONG THAT BAD.
>> AND THAT'S WHAT GOING ABOUT.
55 MILES PER HOUR. THERE'S A
CAR RIGHT BESIDE ME AND WE'RE
HEADING RIGHT INTO THE
DIRECTION OF THAT WRONG-WAY
DRIVER. AND THE OFFICERS DID
NOT STEP IN.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC
SO DARK AND THERE'S VEHICLES
BEHIND US AS WELL TO HAVE TO
THINK ABOUT IS WHAT REALLY WHAT
DID YOU THINK WAS GOING ON
BEFORE YOU REALIZE WHAT WAS
GOING ON? YOU KNOW, I HAD NO
IDEA IT IN A MOMENT. I'M
THINKING MAYBE THIS IS LIKE A
STOP AND SEARCH TO MAKE SURE
THAT THERE'S NO DWI DRIVERS AND
NO ONE'S IMPAIRED OR ANYTHING
OF THAT PROCESSING.
>> AND THEN THAT HAPPENS.
AND AS THAT HAPPENS, I'M JUST
SITTING THERE WHEN THE OFFICERS
GET OUT OF THEIR CARS AND I'M A
TOUGH GUY. I DON'T HAHA, I WANT
TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH. I FEEL
PRETTY EMOTIONAL BECAUSE THOSE
OFFICERS, THEY PRESSED THE GAS.
I MEAN, THEY GOT OUT OF THEIR
CARS. THEY STAYED IN HARM'S
WAY. AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF,
SOMEONE LOVES THEM. SOME WAS
EXPECTING THEM TO COME BACK
HOME. AND IN THAT MOMENT, THEY
THOUGHT THAT MY LIFE AND THE
LIFE OF OTHERS WAS MORE
VALUABLE THAN, YOU KNOW.
DID YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO AT
NIGHT OR IS THIS IS NEAR?
NO, NO, NO, NO. I'M THANKING
THEM NOW IF THEY'RE SEEING
THIS. THANK YOU FROM THE
BOTTOM. BOTTOM OF MY HEART AND
I KNOW THERE'S A NUMBER OF
OTHER DRIVERS THAT WOULD LOVE
TO THANK THEM, BUT THEY JUST
DID THEIR JOB AFTER THEY GOT
THAT DRIVER OUT OF THE WAY.
THEY LET US GOING ON ON ABOUT
OUR EVENING. YOU KNOW, SADLY,
LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN ALWAYS
INTERCEPT A WRONG-WAY DRIVER AS
WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST THAT.
>> IT ENDS TRAGICALLY OFTEN
BUT THIS IS JUST ILLUSTRATES
THE SELFLESSNESS THAT COMES
WITH THAT POSITION AND THAT
BADGE. ABSOLUTELY. LIKE I SAID,
HE DIDN'T FLINCH. I GOT OUT OF
THE CARS IMMEDIATELY. THEY FORM
THAT STILL CURTAIN AND I
BELIEVE THEY SAVED A LOT OF
LIVES THAT NIGHT. AND WE'RE
GLAD YOU'RE OK, THAT'S FOR