MADISON COUNTY, Ark. — An Arkansas middle school teacher became a hero after rescuing a driver from a burning tanker July 1.
KFSM reports that Dave Randall, a middle school teacher in Berryville, was on his way back home when he and his wife saw an 18-wheeler tanker drift off Arkansas Highway 23, near the Madison/Carroll County line.
KHBS reported that the tanker truck was carrying diesel fuel when ran off the highway, crashed and burst into flames.
Shortly after, they saw the tanker rollover, which prompted Randall and his wife to act.
While walking toward the overturned 18-wheeler, it caught fire.
Despite the danger, Randall attempted to rescue the driver.
“There’s no thought process. You just react to it,” Randall told KFSM.
The sweltering heat from the flames and the sun got to Randall during his attempt to rescue the driver.
Randall said that two other men helped pull the driver out of the flames engulfing the truck. He said that the rescue took about 15 minutes but felt longer.
KHBS reported that someone kicked out a window to pull the driver from the truck but did not state if that person was Randall or not.
“Time kind of slows down a bit and it seemed like I had more time than what I guess I actually had,” Randall told KFSM.
Moments after the rescue, the 10,000-gallon tanker became fully engulfed in flames.
Randall said he only suffered a few blisters.
Randall told KFSM that a coworker reached out to him a few days ago saying the driver is still in the hospital.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
