On Wendesday, February 6th, a truck driver was honored for his heroic actions that saved the life of a fellow trucker in December.
The incident occurred back on December 8th, at the Coca Cola plant in Jacksonville Florida, where both drivers were making deliveries.
According to local news reports, truck driver Bradley Camp arrived at the facility just after midnight, and went to sleep in his truck’s sleeper berth as he waited to get unloaded around 6:30 a.m.
Four hours later, truck diver Peter Lester, who drives for Carroll Fulmer Logistics Corporation, pulled into the facility and noticed the Camp’s truck was on fire.
Lester called 911 immediately after noticing that the cab of the truck was on fire. Although he was unaware that anyone was inside the burning truck, Lester decided to get closer to the fire and starting honking his horn repeatedly — just in case anyone was inside.
The honking was enough to wake driver Bradley Camp, who was still sleeping inside the rig as it burned.
Camp says the first thought that came to his mind after being woken up was “why is that driver honking at me.” Then he smelled smoke and realized that his truck was on fire.
Moments after Camp exited his truck, the rig exploded, nearly consuming the entire cab.
Camp suffered only a minor burn on one finger. No one else was injured.
Despite the life-saving effort, the two drivers were not able to meet that night, as fire fighters and rescue workers quickly took the scene.
On Wednesday, the two drivers finally met face-to-face at the Carroll Fulmer Logistics Corporation headquarters in Groveland, Florida, during a special ceremony held to honor Lester’s heroic efforts.
During the ceremony, Lester received a glass plaque from his company that read “Presented to Peter Lester for your heroic actions on December 8, 2018.”
Camp says he’s eternally grateful for Lester’s actions. The two men have exchanged numbers and vowed to stay in touch.