Man involved in Beltway crash jumps from American Legion Bridge to avoid being hit in 2nd crash

CABIN JOHN, Md. - A man who was involved in a crash on the Beltway in Montgomery County jumped from the American Legion Bridge to avoid being struck after a vehicle hit his overturned car, according to officials.

Maryland State Police said 43-year-old Toray Guider was involved in a single-car crash at about 6 a.m. on Sunday on the outer loop of I-495 at Clara Barton Parkway.

Guider's 2015 Honda sedan hit the guardrail, overturned and came to rest on its roof on the Beltway. Guider was able to get out of his vehicle and walk to the right shoulder of the roadway.

Moments after Guider crashed, off-duty Fairfax County firefighter William Schnaekel drove his 2018 Honda sedan in front of Guider's overturned vehicle to offer assistance. While Schnaekel was assisting Guider, authorities said 46-year-old Fatemeh Beshkari, who was driving a 2015 Nissan SUV, struck the overturned vehicle which then struck the rear of Schnaekel's vehicle.

"At that moment that I heard the SUV hit the black car, I hit the ground and I thought, 'this is it,'" Schnaekel described to FOX 5. "It was just a split second and when I got back up again I realized I was OK."

"At that point, I was a little concerned where the other guy was," Schnaekel said.

Investigators said they believe Guider jumped over the side of the bridge to get out of the way of the second crash. Crews found Guider about 50 feet below in a grassy area.

"I would guess that he initially lost consciousness because he did not answer right away but probably after the first minute or two he had answered and you could hear him at the top of the bridge calling for help," Schnaekel described. "I started hollering back to him that we knew he was down there and we were coming for him."

Guider was taken to the hospital where he was being treated for significant injuries sustained from the fall. Beshkari and Schnaekel were also transported to the hospital for injuries suffered during the crash.

Beshkari remained in the hospital and Schnaekel was released following treatment for minor injuries.

Authorities said their investigation into the crashes was still ongoing.