A father and son are being hailed as heroes after pulling a truck driver from his burning cab on Northeast Columbia Boulevard and 17th Avenue in Portland on Wednesday night.
The accident occurred when a speeding van smashed into a U.S. Postal Service truck head on around 9:15. Witnesses say that the van was driving erratically and police suspect that alcohol was involved in the crash. Both vehicles caught fire after the impact. The driver of the van, Jared D. Mack, died on the scene, but the truck driver, 54-year-old Mike R. Harp of Tillamook was trapped inside his burning truck.
A father and son returning from a fishing trip came upon the accident and stopped to help. They said they could hear Harp screaming from inside the cab, so they fought through the flames to pull him out through the windshield. Harp was on fire, so they rolled him on the ground to put him out.
Harp is listed in serious condition in the Legacy Emanuel burn unit.
Sources:
KGW