A local man has won a national award for saving a family from a burning vehicle.
Gerald “Andy” Wright accepted the 37th Goodyear Highway Hero Award during a news conference Sunday at the 2022 Technology & Maintenance Council in Orlando, Florida.
While driving on Illinois Route 3 in the Metro East, Wright encountered a vehicle that was on fire following an accident. Equipped with nothing more than a fire extinguisher and load bar, Wright sprung to action and quickly suppressed the fire as best he could until the extinguisher ran out. Wright then proceeded to break the vehicle’s sunroof and helped pull the trapped occupants out of the vehicle to safety. By the time all riders had been removed, the car was fully engulfed in fire.
Wright received a significant monetary reward and other custom prizes from Goodyear. The program has been in existence since 1983. It celebrates professional truck drivers who act selflessly for the good of others on the highways across North America.
Wright currently serves as the Fire Chief of the Alexander Fire Protection District.