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New Hampshire Trucker Lauded as 1998 Goodyear Hero

26 March 1999

New Hampshire Trucker Lauded as 1998 Goodyear North America Highway Hero

    LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 25 /PRNewswire -- Risking a flaming death to try to
save another's life has won Wayne Carpenter, Keene, N.H., the title of 1998
Goodyear North America Highway Hero, chosen by a group of trucking industry
editors.
    At a press conference at the Mid-America Truck Show here, Carpenter, a
13-year trucking professional who drives for Cheshire Oil Company, was
identified as the winner of the nation's most prestigious trucking industry
award. Carpenter was recognized for efforts to rescue the unconscious driver
of a passenger car after it struck a truck and began furiously burning last
August in Durham, N.H.
    Carpenter was headed for his terminal to pick up a load when he saw the
head-on collision of a car and truck, causing both vehicles to explode in
flames. Carpenter emptied his fire extinguisher on the blaze in a futile
attempt to control the escalating fire.
    The badly injured passenger in the car had managed to pull free of the
burning wreckage and yelled to Carpenter that the driver was trapped.
With no regard for risk to himself, Carpenter lunged into the flames and
pulled the unconscious and critically injured driver out of the car. Later,
the injured passenger car operator succumbed.
    Carpenter and three other finalists were selected from a field of
12 regional Goodyear Highway Heroes representing 11 states and provinces. The
regional Heroes were selected by an independent agency from 23 state winners.
The other Goodyear Highway Hero Finalists for 1998 are:
    Christopher Sackos, Palm Bay, Fla., a 12-year professional driver hauling
mail and local cargoes, who was saluted by editors for saving a critically
injured woman who lay in the road in the path of traffic near Andover, Mass.
Sackos manipulated the wheel of  his truck to force other traffic away from
the woman and parked the rig to keep oncoming traffic from jeopardizing her.
    The late Jamie Pritchard, Elk Park, N.C., who lost his life as he
attempted to render assistance to a family whose car had been run into a guard
rail.  Pritchard, a professional driver for Jack Hicks, Inc., for nine years,
was moving a child from the disabled car to his truck when another vehicle
struck him. He was able to shove the child back into the car before the fatal
impact.  His wife, Wyndy, received his honors for him.
    From Ontario, Canada, Michael Asselin and Mark Savarie, both professional
drivers operating for ETI Transport, Ltd., were cited by editors for their
work to assist the injured driver of an explosives truck that had struck a
rock and caught fire. The two were cited for assisting the driver of the
explosives truck and for preventing more injuries and damage. They will share
the finalist's honor.
    Each year, the North America Highway Hero receives a $20,000 United States
savings bond, and a gold and diamond ring specially made to commemorate the
honor. Each of the other finalists will receive or share a $5,000 bond, an
all-expenses paid trip to the Mid-America Truck Show and a visit to Nashville.
Highway Heroes may be nominated by anyone by calling 1-800-627-2118 for
details and eligibility criteria.