2011 TCA ‘Angel’ Rescued Woman, Her Babies

Marc Beam, the Truckload Carriers Association’s 2011 Highway Angel, is the type of person who saves the lives of a woman and two babies on a dark August night and doesn’t immediately tell anyone about it.

Beam was on his regular run near Benson, N.C., along Interstate 40 when he saw a woman hit from behind, sending her vehicle careening down an embankment before landing upside down with a crushed roof, and two babies in the back seat.

After reaching in to turn off the engine and prevent a fire, Beam had to lie on his back to free the babies from a 12-inch opening between the seats.

“When the incident happened, I went about my business and didn’t say anything,” said Beam, explaining that a co-worker who heard about the accident urged him to come forward.

The Epes Transport System driver recounted the experience to Transport Topics, three days after receiving the award on Dec. 17 during the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, Idaho.

“When it happened, all I could think of was ‘I have to help these people,’ ” he said. “I could hear the screams. It was just instinct. It never really crossed my mind to keep going. Several other people did stop, but nobody else went down there. Maybe they were scared.”

Beam, who has been driving for Epes for five years, flew to Boise with his wife, Mandy, and two of their four sons, where he was joined by TCA officials, including Chairman Gary Salisbury, who is CEO of Fikes Truck Line.

“It was an all-around great experience,” said Beam, referring to his trip to Idaho, which also included meeting Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter. “I was nervous and excited.”

A former high school football player, Beam acknowledged that he’d never been on a football field like Boise’s Bronco Stadium, where the turf is blue.

His trip also included a banquet, where Salisbury related that players involved in the game won by Ohio University 24-23 over Utah State gave Beam a standing ovation.

“He was very humble and shy about being considered a hero,” Salisbury told TT. “He did this because it was the right thing to do.”

“This brings to the forefront that truck drivers are dads and moms and brothers and sisters who are just like everyone else,” Salisbury added. “They are a great bunch of people, and they have very big hearts.”

Beam, 37, came to trucking after a 16-year career in the security industry. He switched to trucking at the invitation of his brother in law, who was in the specialized hauling business before joining Epes in 2006. His regular overnight run takes him from Greensboro, N.C., to Henderson, N.C.

“I realized I really liked trucking,” he said.

Beam said one of sons, 18-year old Michael, is ready to follow him into the trucking business and is aiming to complete commercial driver license training.

The experience along Interstate 40 wasn’t his first life-and-death situation, said Beam, who received first responder training while working toward a career in a county sheriff’s department before picking the better-paying security industry.

When he was 11, Beam said, he saw a disabled 14-year old, who was 40 pounds heavier and couldn’t swim, floundering in a pool.

“He pulled me in, but I still got him out,” the TCA award winner said.