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By Carol Yancho
CNN

McALLEN, Texas (CNN) -- The driver of a Ford Explorer that flipped over after one of its Firestone tires shredded testified Tuesday everything seemed fine until he heard a series of bangs and the SUV crashed.

Jorge Rodriguez said he was driving the 1998 Explorer between 60 and 65 miles per hour when it rolled over near Reynosa, Mexico, on March 9, 2000. Everyone inside was wearing a seat belt, he said.

"Everything looked fine," he said. "Suddenly there was a loud noise followed by a series of noises and the accident."

He said that when he heard the series of bangs he took his foot off the gas and clutched the steering wheel. "I was very scared," he said.

The Firestone Wilderness AT on the right rear wheel separated, and the Explorer went off the road, flipped and came to rest upright.

Rodriguez said he had no memory of the Explorer flying through the air. When it came to rest, he said, his eyes felt sore and when he looked to his right, he saw his brother, Joel, 42, was bleeding around his eye.

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After making sure his brother was alive, he said he looked in the rear seat and saw his sister-in-law, Marisa Rodriguez, 40, of Pharr Texas, with her neck hyperextended upward.

"I thought she was dead," he said.

Marisa Rodriguez was left wheelchair bound as a result of the accident. She and her family are suing Bridgestone/Firestone Corp. in the first tire tread separation lawsuit to reach trial. All other tread separation claims have been settled out of court.

The Rodriguez family reached an agreement with Ford in July, settling for an undisclosed amount. They are asking for $1 billion in damages from Firestone.

The family filed the lawsuit against Bridgestone/Firestone last year.

Also in the vehicle was Joel and Marisa Rodriguez's 3-year-old son. All those in the vehicle were injured, though the other three were not as severely hurt as Ms. Rodriguez.

As passers-by stopped to help and the family waited for an ambulance, Jorge Rodriguez said, "I was crying. I was feeling very said. I was so worried about Marisa."

The accident occurred five months before Firestone announced it was recalling 6.5 million 15-inch AT, ATX, and ATX II tires manufactured at Firestone's Decatur, Illinois, plant -- where the Rodriguez's tire was made. Asked if he felt responsible for the accident, Jorge Rodriguez said he did not.

"I did the best I could do at that moment. It happened so fast," he said.

Also Tuesday, a speech pathologist testified that Marisa Rodriguez has made some improvement since the accident but her progress has been very slow.