Highway Angels

Driver helps pull woman from burning wreck

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) recognized Brian
“Brownie” Brown of Eskridge, KS, as a Highway Angel for rescuing a woman trapped in a burning vehicle.
     While traveling west on Highway 470 in Topeka, KS, Brown noticed an SUV ahead of him start to lurch back and forth on the road. Suddenly, the vehicle veered down an embankment, crashed violently against some trees and burst into flames.
     Brown made sure he secured his fuel tanker safely off the road and put his flashers on before grabbing his fire extinguisher and running off to help. Another driver who had stopped yelled for Brown to call emergency on his cell phone. Brown yelled back, “There’s no time for cell phones. Whoever’s in that car right now, we gotta get him out of there quick.”
     After maneuvering through broken trees to get to the vehicle, Brown saw the female driver was unconscious, so he pounded on the passenger-side window. Meanwhile flames engulfed the engine. Brown tried to “buy us some time” by using his extinguisher, “but every time I tried to extinguish the flames, they came back harder,” he said.
     Fortunately, the other driver came to assist, and while he pulled open the passenger door, Brown continued to attempt to extinguish the flames. Although conscious now, the woman couldn’t move her legs, making it difficult get her out alone. Brown threw down his extinguisher and went to help.
     Once the paramedics arrived, Brown gave them pertinent information and hurried back to his fuel tanker, which was located far enough from the scene but still was a concern to him.
     Brown received a Highway Angel lapel pin, certificate and patch for his efforts, and his employer, United Petroleum Transports, also received a certificate for acknowledging a Highway Angel in their midst.