TRUCKERS HEROES * USA & Canada - A story about Chris Howard

He would never ask for recognition - he was just doing what he could to help another person

USA -Reader's Digest/ by Wendy -November 21, 2008: -- ... As he approached the St. Helens, Oregon, city limits, Chris Howard took his foot off the gas, signaled for a turn and eased into the right lane. He had just gotten off his shift as a foreman for a local industrial contractor, and his mind wandered a bit while he drove. But then he saw something that made him snap to attention. A hundred yards ahead, a loaded lumber truck was coming his way, on the wrong side of the four-lane highway. The truck was on the shoulder and going only about 10 mph, but it was weaving badly, forcing panicked drivers to slam on their brakes... Howard stopped, and when the truck rumbled past him, he saw that the driver, who was frantically glancing over his shoulder as he swerved toward the lanes of traffic, was young... As the 50-ton truck kept going, he got a better look. The driver was a little kid.... As the truck continued to bump along the highway, Howard flattened himself against the cab, the door banging against him. He searched the dashboard for a power switch but found nothing. He looked for the ignition key but couldn't see it... Out of desperation, Howard stepped into the cab as far as he could and stomped on the brake pedal with his right foot. His body shook as the truck jerked to a stop... He turned to Matty and said, "What were you doing?""My dad!" Matty cried. "I don't know what happened." Until then, Howard hadn't noticed the man slumped on the floor. He was breathing and his eyes were open, but they had a glazed look. Howard tried to rouse him."What's his name?" he asked."Matt," said the boy."Matt!" Howard yelled. "Can you hear me?"... (Photo: Chris and Howard)


* Canada - Ontario trucker wins Truck Hero Award for saving driver in blazing car

Ontario,CAN -Land Line Magazine (CAN) -November 25, 2008: -- An Ontario trucker was awarded the Canadian Truck Hero Award and $3,000 in Toronto earlier this month. Bridgestone Firestone Canada will also donate $3,000 to the charity of his choice... The trucker, Conrad Henry, was on his way home from a Florida run in October 2007 when he noticed smoke coming from a car on the side of the road near Munro, OH... According to a press release, Henry pulled over, called 911 and retrieved his fire extinguisher from the cab. While he talked to 911 operators on his cell phone and tried to douse the flames, he noticed someone slumped in the front seat... Henry fought through the heavy smoke, opened the car door and dragged the disoriented driver away from the car engulfed in flames... Thanks to Henry’s decisive actions, emergency personnel promptly arrived at the scene and were able to provide further medical assistance. The state police told Conrad that his quick thinking had helped save the man’s life...