’I thought I was going to die’ says Richmond man forced to hold on to parking lot sign during storm

A Richmond man says he feels lucky to be alive after last night’s storm.

Jeremy Cantrell got caught in the strong winds in the middle of a parking lot before barely making it inside a restaurant.

“I swear I thought I was going to die. I thought I wasn’t going to see my family again,” he said.

>> RELATED: Group takes shelter from Richmond storms in Applebee’s

Cantrell had just left Buffalo Wild Wings and was in his car when the weather started getting bad. He pulled into an Applebee’s parking lot and when he got out of his car, conditions were so bad that he had to hold on to a handicapped sign.

“I grabbed around it like this and I was holding onto it for dear life.”

Once the wind died down, Cantrell ran to the Applebee’s and banged on the door for someone to let him in. When the storm passed, he went to the hospital where doctors told him he has a tear in his shoulder would have to wear a sling.

“I wouldn’t be standing here and I wouldn’t be pursing my career and I wouldn’t be doing nothing and this was the scariest moment of my life.”

>> RELATED: National Weather Service conducting survey on Richmond storm damage