HIDALGO, MEXICO — A dramatic crash on Mexico’s Arco Norte highway was caught on video after a crane lost control and burst into flames while trying to avoid an existing multi-vehicle collision.

The incident occurred on Monday along the ascending curve near kilometer 115-117 of the Arco Norte, at the height of Ajoloapan, Hidalgo, on the stretch connecting Ajoloapan and Pachuca.

According to reports, a crash involving three vehicles had already occurred at the location when the crane, apparently unable to see the wreck ahead in time, swerved sharply to avoid a collision. The maneuver sent it out of control, and it struck the highway’s central retaining wall before catching fire, sending a fireball spreading across the roadway.

Footage from the scene shows a man clinging to the retaining wall narrowly escaping the flames, jumping clear just as the fire reached the barrier. He survived without apparent injury, an outcome one local outlet described as nothing short of miraculous given how close the blaze came to him.

Five people were injured in the overall incident, though authorities have not released details on the severity of those injuries or which of the multiple vehicles involved they were traveling in. Both directions of the highway were shut down at kilometer 117 while emergency crews worked the scene; full traffic flow was restored later that night, though congestion lingered in both directions for hours afterward.

The Arco Norte is one of central Mexico’s busiest freight corridors, connecting Puebla, Hidalgo, and the greater Mexico City region, and accidents involving heavy vehicles like cranes and tow trucks are a recurring hazard on its steep, curving grades.

On Monday, the corridor nearly hosted tragedy.