DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS — Lynnfield Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Mutti is being praised for rescuing a driver trapped in an overturned tanker truck on Route 1 in Danvers on Monday evening, October 26. He was off duty, with no firefighting or protective gear.
The Lynnfield Fire Department said Mutti was driving behind the tanker southbound on Route 1 when he saw it overturn onto its passenger side. The driver was injured and trapped, and the tanker’s contents spilled across the road. Mutti ran to the truck and found the driver had fallen to the passenger side and was not moving.
“My first thought was, ‘I hope it’s not full of fuel,'” Mutti said. “My second thought was I hope he’s okay.”
He climbed the side of the truck, kicked in the windshield, and hauled the driver out through the opening with help from a police officer who arrived on scene. A civilian who saw the crash stopped and gave Mutti gloves to protect his hands. Once the driver was in the care of EMS in a safe location, Mutti continued home.
The driver was hospitalized with multiple injuries. Crews stayed at the scene for hours cleaning up thousands of gallons of oil that spilled from the top of the tanker.
Mutti has been with the department for almost 30 years and credits that experience with giving him the training to act right away. “I didn’t really think about it. The guy was trapped, and I wanted to get him out. I was just assessing what was going on constantly just for his safety and everybody else that was there.”
He downplayed the praise. “It was just part of the job. I’m just happy I could help. I was just in the right place at the right time. I would hope anybody in that situation would help the driver.”
The Fire Department commended Mutti’s courage and commitment to the values and traditions of the service, saying he displayed “exceptional bravery and determination.”
Interviews courtesy of local media.
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