CBS2 Exclusive: Driver Speaks After Recording Horrific Truck Accident On Tappan Zee

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A driver spoke out Sunday evening, two days after recording a truck hauling scrap metal as it tipped over and lost some of its wheels on the Tappan Zee Bridge.

The crash happened around 9 a.m. Friday on the northbound side of the bridge. Images from the scene showed the overturned truck with pieces of scrap metal and debris all over the roadway, and the video showed truck sending debris and two wheels flying across the road.

The trailer and flying debris narrowly missed the car behind it.

As CBS2's Hazel Sanchez reported exclusively, Qing Chang, 50, of Ardsley was driving that car, and his dashcam took the video. But Chang said he didn't get scared.

"I have no time to get scared," he said.

Chang said he was on his way to work Friday morning when the accident happened, driving from the Westchester County side of the bridge toward Rockland County.

He said he has a personal rule not to drive next to tractor trailers. So when this one caught up to the right side of his car, he said he pressed on the brake – and the accident happened.

"I just hit my brake as tight as fast I can, and I barely just dodge that kind of disaster," Chang said.

Chang stayed remarkably calm despite being just inches away from a potentially deadly collision.

State police believe the truck's axle broke. The rear wheels broke off, and struck Chang's car before rolling in front of him.

Surprisingly, no one was hurt.

"I was pretty calm. I just take action," Chang said. "Panic doesn't work, right? So I just take action."

Chang said he was calm throughout the whole ordeal and had no idea how much danger he was in until he watched the dashcam video himself.

"I was calm, and then when I look at it the first time, actually my heart beat faster than I was on site," Chang said. "It took me a couple of hours to finally calm down."

Chang, a pharmaceutical scientist, wanted to continue to work that day. But he decided to work from home.

The accident led to massive traffic delays for hours. But that was a small price to pay considering how much worse the accident could have been.

Chang said he got a dashcam after getting into a car a year and a half ago. He said he thought the dashcam would have helped prove his case.