A truck driver who rescued another trucker who had fallen from a burning tanker truck that was hanging over the side of a freeway overpass was named the 31st Goodyear Highway Hero.
Chosen from four finalists, Ivan Vasovic of Rancho Cucamonga CA received the 31st Goodyear North America Highway Hero Award on March 27 during the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville KY.
Vasovic was in his truck in Los Angeles CA last October when he witnessed a double tanker truck hit the concrete divider of a freeway overpass, careen off a wall, and slam into a guard rail. Its cargo tanks, which were full of diesel, ripped open and the truck came to a stop with its tractor and first tank trailer hanging over the side of the overpass.
The truck’s driver was trapped inside when the diesel ignited. The driver, now on fire, kicked out a window, slid down the truck and fell to the ground, breaking an arm and leg. By that point, the suspended truck was engulfed in flames with black clouds of smoke billowing from it.
Vasovic and another bystander tried to pull the injured driver to safety. However, due to the intense heat, they could only drag him a few yards at a time. Vasovic dashed back to his truck and poured water on himself, which enabled him to drag the badly injured driver 20 yards away from his original position. Moments later, the entire burning tanker truck crashed to the ground.
“Ivan’s quick thinking and brave actions saved a fellow truck driver from a life-threatening situation,” said Gary Medalis, marketing director, Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems. “He literally put himself in harm’s way to save another person’s life. Ivan’s decision to interject himself into this deadly scenario is a powerful example of the selflessness exhibited by professional truck drivers. He has earned the right to be called a Highway Hero.”
As the 31st Goodyear Highway Hero Award winner, Vasovic receives a special Highway Hero ring, a $5,000 prize, and other items.
Vasovic and three other truck drivers were selected as finalists for the 31st Goodyear Highway Hero Award. Other finalists included:
Brian Dunn, a driver from Knoxville TN. Dunn was driving down a highway in Oklahoma when he saw a car crash through a guard rail and land on its roof in the middle of the road. He ran to the car as its engine caught fire. Running back to his truck to grab his fire extinguisher, Dunn heard a child crying. He spotted a two-year-old boy who was trapped in the back seat of the burning car. Braving the flames, Dunn yanked on the car’s door until it gave way, allowing him to rescue the child, whom he then handed to bystanders. Dunn ran back to his car for his fire extinguisher while other bystanders tried to rescue the boy’s mother, who had driven the car. They later learned that she died as a result of the crash.
Tim Horton, a driver from Sheridan AR. Horton was driving outside Tuscaloosa AL when a small car passed his truck, lost control, and drove into a 35-foot-deep ravine, landing upside down in a creek bed. The car’s driver, a teenager, was trapped inside the car and had suffered a large cut on his head. Horton flagged down the driver of another vehicle, who happened to be a volunteer firefighter. The two men made their way down the steep, brush-covered embankment. They found the teenager alive, but bleeding heavily. Horton cut the teenager’s seat belt and pulled him from the car. After Horton and the volunteer firefighter stabilized the teenager’s condition, Horton called for additional help. It took 10 men using a 50-foot fire ladder to transport the teenager to a waiting ambulance.
Scott Rosenberg, a driver from Isanti MN. Rosenberg had just completed a delivery in Stillwater MN when he spotted a pickup truck that was upside down in a pond with steam rising from it. At the time, Rosenberg was driving a trailer with a boom crane used for loading heavy concrete products. Acting quickly, he positioned his crane in place, hoping to flip the pickup over and back onto its wheels. In the meantime, two other men had reached the pickup and were trying to pry its doors open, to no avail. Using his crane, Rosenberg turned the pickup right-side up. Its driver, a college student who had fallen asleep at the wheel, was still alive. Police then arrived and pulled him from the vehicle.