WEST JEFFERSON, OHIO — Brian Koppenhaver was driving along Interstate 70 in Ohio at 2:30 a.m. on July 30 when he watched a violent collision between a semi-truck and a box truck happen right in front of him. He put his turn signal on, pulled to the right shoulder, and ran back to help.
The Truckload Carriers Association has named the Melton Truck Lines driver a Highway Angel for what happened next.
Koppenhaver reached the box truck and found it severely crushed with two occupants critically injured inside. A passenger named Mario was trapped in the wreckage, not breathing, and unresponsive. Koppenhaver climbed through an opening in the mangled cab to reach him.
“When I got in there, Mario, his head was where the dash was supposed to be, and his feet were back towards where the cab of the truck was,” Koppenhaver said. “He wasn’t breathing. He’s not responsive.”
Koppenhaver cut open Mario’s shirt, assessed his condition, and worked to stimulate a response while keeping his neck as still as possible out of concern for possible spinal and head injuries.
“I did a sternum rub and stuff like that. Got him somewhat conscious,” he said.
As Mario began to respond, Koppenhaver called 911 and relayed what he was seeing. He stayed with Mario while emergency personnel made their way to the scene. When they arrived, Koppenhaver requested a cervical collar for Mario and helped prepare rescuers for the difficult extrication. Firefighters used the jaws of life to cut through the vehicle and free him.
Mario was transported for emergency treatment. He remains hospitalized in intensive care and has suffered severe injuries including the loss of both legs. Mario also had massive lacerations to his left arm and both legs pinned beneath the wreckage before he was freed.
A U.S. military veteran and retired U.S. Postal Service employee, Koppenhaver approached the chaotic scene with composure and experience. “I watched the impact happen, so it’s not like I drove up on it,” he said. “I just put the turn signal on and got over on the right shoulder and ran back to offer assistance.”
The TCA Highway Angel program has recognized nearly 1,500 professional truck drivers for exemplary courage and compassion since 1997. The program is presented by EpicVue with supporting sponsors DriverFacts and Northland Insurance.
Interviews courtesy of TCA.
📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.
