Caught on Video: Cop's Close Call With Death on Dallas Highway

A routine traffic stop in Dallas nearly turned grisly, KTVT-TV reported — and the close call was captured on a law enforcement dash cam. Dallas County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Loboda was conducting a stop on July 10, for what turned out to be an alleged HOV violation, when a speeding truck nearly sideswiped him.

Deputy Christopher Loboda. (Image source: screengrab via KTVT-TV)

“My thought process was think small, be small. Tuck everything that I had in," Loboda told KTVT. "Don’t leave a foot out. Pull everything away from where this vehicle is coming from.” As the frightening video footage shows, the truck passed within inches of Loboda as it screeched to a halt.

Image source: screengrab via KTVT-TV

Thankfully, Loboda's "think small, be small" mantra paid off, and he wasn't hit. He even waved the truck on its way. But the incident provides a reminder of the importance of moving over a lane and slowing down around traffic stops, Loboda said, not to mention the importance of slowing down in general. “It happens too often, and again a lot of it has to be with people being in a hurry," Loboda told KTVT. "They’ve got to get somewhere. They’ve got to get somewhere yesterday.”

— Follow Zach Noble (@thezachnoble) on Twitter