Goodyear Highway Hero Award: Jim Palmer Driver Rescues Unconscious Dump Truck Driver

Every year since 1983, Goodyear Tires has recognized truck drivers who have gone above and beyond their duties on the road, and put themselves in harm's way, to help someone who needed it. The Goodyear Highway Hero is chosen from 3 finalists, and this years winner, announced at the Mid-America Trucking Show, is David Webb, a Jim Palmer driver from Billings, MT.

While driving through Washington State with his wife in June, 2016, a swerving dump truck in the next lane got his attention, and he noticed the driver slumped over the steering wheel.

The dump truck eventually slowed enough to allow David to park his own, and run after it, while wife Carol dialed 911. As the dump stopped and then began to roll backwards, David jumped on board, opened the door and applied the brakes. David, using his experience as a former member of the military and as a volunteer firefighter, along with another bystander performed CPR on the unconscious driver until the EMT's arrived.

The dump truck driver survived and spent about 3 weeks in the hospital. Despite admittedly initially being mad at the driver for coming over into his lane, the two now consider themselves friends.

As for the award, David received $5,000, a Highway Hero ring, and a trophy.

The Other 2 Finalists:

The other two finalists were Chris Baker, from Chicopee, MA, who rescued an unconscious minivan driver from his fiery wreck, and Tim Freiburger, a driver from Huntington, IN, who rescued a mother and her three children, whose car had gone out of control and flipped into a creek, upside down.

The Goodyear Highway Hero Award winner is selected by an independent panel of trucking trade press members.

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The Goodyear Highway Hero Award