Two men rushed to help a truck driver trapped in a flaming semi truck in Missouri on Wednesday, and now police are hoping to identify them so they can be thanked properly.
The accident and subsequent rescue occurred on January 13th at around 7:30 a.m. in St. Charles, Missouri.
According to Fox 2 News, a semi truck driven by 46-year-old Curtis Vancleave veered across westbound Hwy. 370 near Elm and into a barrier wall before overturning and catching fire, and that’s when the good Samaritans leaped into action.
Ben Craven was on his way to work when he saw the plumes of smoke. Fearing that his business, Craven Performance & Off-Road LLC, was burning, he began recording the scene, but as he got closer, he saw the reality of the situation. As he approached the scene, he captured footage of another truck driver sprinting towards the burning rig, lending a helping hand to another man who was attempting to free Vancleave from his burning rig.
The two managed to free Vancleave and walked him to the nearby barrier wall to rest, regroup, and evaluate his condition. In the footage, flames can be seen engulfing the truck cab just 20 seconds after the driver’s rescue. Within 10 more minutes, the entire truck erupted into massive amounts of flames.
Luckily, Vancleave suffered only minor injuries in the accident, but police are still looking to identify the two men who potentially saved his life.
“In 2021 in America, to see somebody run into fire…that cab was already on fire when they got there to try to help that guy,” Craven said.
“Deep down, I truly believe in America. It’s a country full of selfless people who are willing to put themselves on the line for something they may be able to achieve that’s bigger than themselves. In that moment, it was saving another man’s life…and seeing something like that kind of checks your perspective pretty quick and lets you know what really matters.”
As of Wednesday evening, the two men have still not come forward.