Award Makes Heroes Out of Truckers

AKRON, Ohio — Twenty-four truck drivers from North America will receive hero awards from Goodyear Rubber and Tire Co. for their efforts to rescue an accident victim or provide roadside assistance.

The 1998 honors will go to the truckers — 22 from the states and two from Canadian provinces — under the company’s State Highway Hero Award program.

Four finalists will be selected from the pool of drivers and will travel to Louisville, Ky., where they will be introduced at the Mid-America Trucking Show in March. The drivers also will appear on the Nashville Network's "Prime Time Country" television program, during which the 1998 Goodyear National Highway Hero will be announced.

Two of this year’s heroes, selected from a pool of 41 nominees, lost their lives while helping others.

Jamie Pritchard of Elk Park, N.C, was driving home on Interstate 81 near Marion, Va., when he saw a truck bump a smaller car into a guardrail. Mr. Pritchard left his family sleeping in his rig to assist the vehicle’s occupants, a mother and four children. He calmed them down and lifted a young girl from the passenger seat to take her to his truck. Mr. Pritchard glanced over his shoulder to see another vehicle heading toward them. He shoved the child back into the car, but the oncoming vehicle struck and killed him.

Kelly Pate of Evansville, Ind., was traveling with his wife near Daytona Beach, Fla., when he saw a driver ahead of him lose control of her vehicle and flip over several times. The driver escaped unharmed, so Mr. Pate and two other motorists tried to roll the vehicle back onto its wheels. As the four stood on the median, a motorist failed to stop traffic, lost control of her vehicle and struck the four people and the wrecked vehicle. Mr. Pate died later that evening, leaving behind his young bride and two-year-old daughter.

Other award winners who displayed courage and generosity as they helped people in trouble:

• Just as Michael Shannon of Blacksburg, S.C., was getting back on the road after a rest, he saw a car blow a tire and swerve out of control. It was hit by another vehicle and rolled several times before coming to rest on its side along the median. After pulling a woman from the vehicle, Shannon rescued her mother, who sustained life-threatening injuries. He performed emergency medical care on the elderly woman, which authorities credited with saving her life.

• Mark Savarie and Michael Asselin of Markstay, Ontario, arrived at a truck accident on Highway 17 in Sudbury, Ontario. They tried to douse the flames and free the driver before realizing the rig was transporting explo-sives. Mr. Savarie tended to the driver's injuries and moved his partner’s truck some distance away to create a barricade to prevent other drivers from approaching. The rig exploded, destroying Mr. Savarie's new truck, which was still parked nearby. Although debris was thrown nearly two miles from the scene, no one was injured in the explosion.

• While driving on I-20 outside of Dallas, Jerry Mitchell of Demopolis, Ala., saw the propane tanks on a motor home traveling behind his rig explode. As flames engulfed the camper, Mr. Mitchell and another driver removed two badly burned victims from the vehicle, helped them to safety and controlled the fire until help arrived.

For the full story, see the Jan. 25 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.