My best friend's dad is a hero

[Akasa]

He's the truck driver that drug a person out of a burning car.

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dw...k.1ee1c77.html

[BookstoreEscapee]

Wow.

Sad that someone else didn't make it, but I hope the others are OK.

[hinakiba777]

Wow that was really brave of him. Your friend must be really proud.

[persephone]

Send him Kudos from all of us.

How many people would be able to do that? I would freeze in a situation like that and he just goes running in, probably somewhere in his mind fully recognizing the risks and deciding it's worth it anyway.

He's a better man than most and I hope both he and the person he pulled out are okay.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims families though.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

You know, I have heard so many stories about truckers hitting people parked in the shoulder. I know someone who was killed that way when her car broke down.

Why does that happen so often?

[protege]

Why does that happen so often?

Some of it is because of how the roads are designed. Many highways are arrow-straight...and as such, very little effort is required to keep a car moving at 65-70-mph. Depending on how long the trip is, some drivers get "hypnotized" by them. Throw in cruise control, and it's no wonder.

But, it's not just truckers...bus drivers can fall into the same trap. About 10 years ago, a bus drifted off the side of the road, and plowed into a parked semi I didn't see it, but I saw the bus get towed--the entire front end, plus part of the side were peeled back, as if they'd been removed by a giant can opener. IIRC, two people, including the bus driver, died.

Also consider, that many highway "shoulders," aren't wide enough. They simply aren't meant for traffic, and as such, are usually narrower. Granted, the PA turnpike has some that are wider in places. But still, even that won't prevent people from not pulling off the highway far enough!

That's another cause--people who don't get off the damn road! They'll pull over about an inch to the right of the white line...and following traffic might not be able to give them more room. At 70mph or more, it's difficult to swerve the other way, even if you are in a sports car...let alone a truck!