Highway Angels

Driver's quick action saves soldier's life

John Boyd, a professional truck driver for ABF Freight System, Inc., of Fort Smith, AR, has been named a Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) Highway Angel for helping a severely injured man trapped in a dangerous location.
     On April 7, 2010, Boyd was traveling on I-675 southbound near Beavercreek, OH, on his way from Dayton to Winston-Salem, NC. It was approximately 5:15 a.m. and still dark when he took an off-ramp to proceed onto U.S. 35 eastbound.
     In the curve of the ramp, he came across debris and a vehicle that was partially on the ramp. Thinking someone's car had spun out, he was considering going around the vehicle when he spotted a man lying on his back, partially on the ramp next to the guardrail.
     Boyd stopped and approached the unconscious man, who was bleeding profusely and appeared to have severe injuries. He called 911 and then returned to his truck, which was equipped with a set of double trailers. He backed up about 10 feet and used the trailers to block the ramp from any vehicles that might drive into the scene and possibly hit the victim.
     Boyd checked the vehicle for additional passengers, and seeing none, attempted to make the man as comfortable as possible until authorities arrived.
     Authorities eventually pieced together what happened. The injured man, a 27-year-old soldier who was home on leave from Iraq, had been traveling eastbound on the U.S. 35 ramp to I-675 northbound when he lost control of his car and drove off the left side of the road. The car flipped over the guardrail, rolled at least four times and landed on the ramp, ejecting its driver onto the pavement, where Boyd found him.
     “When things happen, you do things instinctively,” Boyd said. “Like I later told the boy's grandfather and mother on the phone, it was a great honor for me to be in a position where I could help.”