A veteran truck driver deployed emergency medical skills learned on the battlefield to save a fellow driver's life after a catastrophic crash in Arkansas, earning official recognition from the trucking industry.
James Brown, who spent 12 years with the US Marines, was driving for Melton Truck Lines out of Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 22 when he witnessed another truck lose control in heavy rain and low visibility roughly 40 miles east of Little Rock. The vehicle overturned after sliding approximately 75 feet off the roadway.
Brown immediately pulled over and rushed to the wreckage. After helping the driver out of the overturned cab, he discovered a piece of metal impaled in the man's leg. The injured driver pulled the object out before Brown could stop him, triggering severe arterial bleeding.
Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Brown acted quickly. He fashioned a tourniquet from a seatbelt and applied it to the driver's leg, stemming the blood loss long enough for emergency responders to arrive. The injured driver had lost significant blood and was barely conscious by the time paramedics took over, but he remained alive.
Brown stayed at the scene for nearly two hours after first responders arrived, providing witness statements to investigators before resuming his delivery route.
The Truckload Carriers Association, which has recognized highway angels since 1997, inducted Brown into the program on June 4. The organization honors truck drivers who demonstrate exceptional kindness, courtesy, and courage while on the road.
Brown downplayed his heroism, saying he simply did what he would want done for himself or his family in a similar situation. "If that had been me, I would hope somebody would stop and help," he said. "My wife, my children, I'd hope somebody would stop and do the same for them."
Author James Rodriguez: "Combat training saved a life on an Arkansas highway, and that matters. Brown did what mattered when it counted."
Comments