Press Release
AKRON, Ohio, Feb. 10, 2015 – The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company will announce the winner of the 32nd Goodyear Highway Hero Award on Thursday, March 26, during the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, Ky.
The Goodyear Highway Hero Award honors professional truck drivers who put themselves in harm’s way to help others.
“Truck drivers are often the first responders to on-highway incidents, putting their lives on the line to save people from dangerous situations,” said Gary Medalis, director of marketing, Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems.
Finalists for the 32nd Goodyear Highway Hero Award include a driver who rescued a law enforcement official who was being strangled by a prisoner, a driver who rescued a woman and a one-year-old child from a burning car, and a driver who pulled a semi-conscious man from a flame-engulfed SUV.
“Each of our Highway Hero Award finalists took action without concern for his own safety and is worthy of recognition,” said Medalis.
This year’s Goodyear Highway Hero Award finalists include:
David Fredericksen, a driver from Windermere, Fla. Fredericksen was driving down an interstate near Gulfport, Miss., when he saw a car crash into another truck and catch fire. He grabbed his fire extinguisher and ran to the car. Fredericksen repelled the flames enough to reach the car’s passenger side door. By this time, several spectators had joined him. They helped him remove the passengers – including a woman who had suffered a broken leg and her year-old grandchild – from the blazing car. By the time firefighters reached the scene, the vehicle’s passenger area was completely engulfed in flames. The incident was captured by Fredericksen’s dashboard camera. (To view an ABC news report about the rescue, click here.)
Trucking industry journalists are now evaluating the above finalists. The truck driver who is named the 32nd Goodyear Highway Hero will receive a special ring, a $5,000 award and a congratulatory crystal. Each of the other finalists will receive a cash prize and other items.
“Each of this year’s Highway Hero Award finalists is a true hero in his own right and a credit to the trucking industry,” said Medalis. “We look forward to honoring these individuals for their courage during MATS.”
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