Trucker pulls motorist from burning vehicle

Driving a truck is a tough job, with challenges like tight deadlines, congested roads, and strict hours-of-service (HOS) limitations. Still, some drivers find time to be Good Samaritans as well.

Early in the morning of Oct. 25, 2016, Texas driver Adrian Parada was fueling his big rig at a Love's Truck Stop in Fort Stockton, Texas, when he noticed a pickup truck had caught on fire. Parada, who works for El Paso-based Stagecoach Cartage & Distribution, a unit of Roadrunner Transportation Systems, leapt into action, asking a fellow Stagecoach Cartage driver to call 911 and dashing to the flaming vehicle to see if the driver needed help. While attempting to escape the vehicle, the driver stumbled, but Parada pulled him to safety. Reports state there were two explosions and that the driver suffered burns to his knees, feet, and arms, but he escaped further injury thanks to Parada's quick action.

For his selfless courage, Parada has been named a "Highway Angel" by the industry group Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), which collects and verifies nominations by employers, professional truck drivers, and motorists who have witnessed acts of bravery by drivers on the road.

Parada joins the ranks of truck operators who have offered services ranging from fixing a flat tire to life-saving efforts such as administering CPR ... or pulling someone from a burning vehicle, TCA said.