Odessa Man Shares Miracle Survival Story Says ‘There is A God’

If you've ever driven in or around Midland-Odessa, you may notice that some of the drivers in the area are pretty aggressive.

Jimmy Garcia, an Odessa man known for bringing nightlife and community together through his business, 87th Lounge, is counting his blessings after a terrifying accident on Interstate 20 last week.

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A Life-Changing Encounter

The crash occurred on Wednesday, October 8, as Mr. Garcia was driving home from work around 5:30 p.m. on I-20 near the Armadillo Hotel.

According to him, what started as a normal day quickly turned into a life-altering moment.

“The semi in front of me stopped immediately, and as I was braking, I saw another semi behind me trying to stop too. I just remember thinking, ‘They’re going to kill me,’ while looking at a picture of my deceased grandmother I keep in my vehicle.”

Realizing the semi behind him was going to hit him, he tried to swerve left, but the truck behind him struck his vehicle, knocking him unconscious.

“I could hear people yelling, ‘He’s dead, he’s dead,’” he said. “When I heard that, I thought of my grandmother. Then I woke up and told them I was okay.”

Despite the severity of the crash, Mr. Garcia did survive and was said to have broken his neck.

“It was a scary moment, man. I shouldn’t even be here,” he said emotionally. “If I hadn’t gone left, even by an inch, I wouldn’t be alive right now.”

The Odessa businessman shared his story not for attention, but as a warning to others who drive the heavily traveled I-20 corridor.

“If you’ve got kids in the car, don’t go up on I-20,” he urged. “There’s road construction, there’s sudden stops, it’s dangerous. Take the longer route if you have to. Leave that to the oil field.”

He said he believes divine intervention played a part in his survival. “There is a God,” he said.

“That day, my guardian angel was my grandmother. I know she was there with me.”

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I am happy Mr. Garcia survived such a horrific car accident.  To walk away from such a crash where your head is inches away from the back of another vehicle is beyond a miracle.

We wish Mr. Garcia a speedy and full recovery.