The Truckload Carriers Assn. (TCA) has named Bryan Blair, a truck driver for Pegasus Transportation of Louisville, KY, to its roster of Highway Angels for pulling a fellow trucker to safety and alerting authorities after his load shifted causing his rig to roll over.
On May 26, 2012, Blair was driving in front of a flatbed hauling a huge coil of steel when the driver took a turn too quickly, causing the load to shift. The chains securing the coil snapped causing the coil to roll off and flipping the rig.
Blair pulled to the side, called 911, got his flashlight and went to check on the driver. The trucker was conscious, but injured, and his vehicle was leaking diesel fuel. Blair pried open the door and pulled the injured man out of his truck to safety, staying with him until emergency personnel arrived.
“Flatbeds can be dangerous because you can’t get the exact center of gravity sometimes,” said Blair, who has driven trucks for about seven years. “I’d help anyone; it’s just the way I am. If something would have happened [to ignite the diesel fuel], he needed to be out of the way.”
For his efforts that day, Blair has received a Highway Angel lapel pin, certificate, and patch. Pegasus Transportation also received a certificate acknowledging that one of its drivers is a Highway Angel.
Since its inception in August 1997, the Highway Angels program has recognized hundreds of drivers for the unusual kindness, courtesy, and courage they have shown others while on the job.
To learn more about the program or to nominate a driver, go to http://www.truckload.org/highway-angel or visit the Angels’ Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/tcanews. For additional information, contact TCA at (703) 838-1950 or [email protected].
