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PROVO — A Utah County man survived being pinned between two semi-trucks.

Kaleb Whitby, 27, was driving on an interstate highway in Oregon when he smashed into the back of a jackknifed semi-truck that was part of a 26-vehicle pileup.

"I think I just had to gasp. When you're going downhill … as soon as he jackknifed, I shifted down and pushed my brakes, but being on black ice, there's no chance. I mean, what can you do?" Whitby said. "And so I tried to somewhat steer to the right side of the road and I ended up hitting the trailer right at the back corner, so it smashed my front end in, and when I hit, it shut my pickup off, so I was pretty much helpless there."

Whitby looked out his passenger window and saw another semi heading toward him, he said.

"I turned right back, closed my eyes and said a prayer that I'd be safe and I do believe, and I'm very firm in that, and I just held onto the wheel as tight as I could, tucked my head and just kept praying the whole time," Whitby said.

"I turned right back, closed my eyes and said a prayer that I'd be safe and I do believe, and I'm very firm in that, and I just held onto the wheel as tight as I could, tucked my head and just kept praying the whole time." Kaleb Whitby

The semi smashed through his pickup. Only the shell surrounding his seat was still standing. But Whitby is OK other than a bruise and a few scratches.

"When things like that happen, what I've kind of come to realize is that it is a miracle," said Whitby.

His weightlifting coach and mentor told KSL Whitby is mentally and physically strong. His strength may have played a part in his survival.

"Kaleb is kind of a beast," said Scott Glasgow.

Scott Glasgow met Whitby at a Gold's Gym in Orem in 2007. Glasgow eventually trained Whitby in his garage to compete as an Olympic lifter. Glasgow said one of Whitby's greatest accomplishments was placing fifth in the United States in Olympic lifting.

Whitby once lifted weights so heavy that the vibration from the fall of the weights shattered the windows in his garage, Glasgow said. His large presence overpowers his soft voice and reserved personality, but inside he is tough, Glasgow said.

"Olympic lifters are pretty mentally tough kind of people, and I think when all of these things were going down he kind of was probably able to keep a little bit more calm," Glasgow said.

Whitby said if the semi would've pushed his pickup even a foot further, he would've died. The Olympic lifter now has a new kind of strength.

"Now I need to figure out who I need to be in this life and what I need to accomplish," Whitby said.

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