TEMPLE, Texas — Ryan Leamer is a 27-year-old father in Temple whose life was almost cut short.
Leamer was driving on West Adams in Temple on the evening of May 22 when the unexpected hit, an EF-2 tornado.
"I started to see black clouds rolling in," Leamer said. He turned around and within minutes, power lines were exploding.
"It was like big flashes of white," Leamer told 6 News. "I thought it was lightning, and then I saw one explode in front of me and realized that's what I was seeing that whole time."
Within a few seconds, everything flashed in front of Leamer's eyes.
"Next thing I knew, I guess I was in the air," Leamer said.
Leamer believes it's likely he flew across multiple lanes. His truck landed in a bank parking lot.
"It hit the ground," Leamer said. "I lay there for a second, you know, collected myself and then I saw a light come on like in my peripheral. I was like 'I'm dead, that's it.'"
All Leamer could think of was running. He did anything to survive.
"I freaked out and pulled myself through the back windshield," Leamer said. "I was able to crawl out of there and it was a pretty tight squeeze, but I got out of there. Once I made it out I just rolled out from right here and ran into the bank right there. It's crazy that I was even able to get in there because you know everything down this way was closed and locked up. If it wasn't for that bank, I'd have been stuck out in it."
Leamer is now left with scratches along his arm. He is sore too. However, he is just grateful to be alive, and he's thankful his son wasn't with him.
"I was supposed to pick him up yesterday," Leamer said. "His car seat is over here in the wreckage somewhere. That's the first thing I saw when I got out when everything calmed down. I looked over there and saw his car seat about 20 feet from the truck and I was just grateful."
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