Two truckers, Timothy VanNostrand and Elijah Ramos, have been lauded as “highway heroes” for their courageous deeds on the road in the past year. On March 4, Goodyear honored them with the 2023 Highway Hero Award, a recognition the company has been bestowing on selfless, courageous, and brave professional drivers since 1983. This annual award emphasizes the crucial role truckers play in ensuring highway safety by going above and beyond to assist those in need.
VanNostrand, an OOIDA member from Northville, N.Y., was presented with the award for his brave actions in aiding the police in apprehending a suspect involved in a shootout during a traffic stop by a state trooper. In June 2023, this owner-operator strategically used his logging truck to block the shooter’s car, compelling the assailant to flee on foot.
“I could see the bullets flying out of the back window of the car that the trooper pulled over. I stopped as fast as I could and got slowed down enough to kind of turn into the car and put it against the guardrails, stopping it so the trooper could take control of the situation,” VanNostrand said. “It all happened so fast; it was a split-second decision.”
Ramos, a driver for Ryder System Inc., earned the accolade for his compassionate response to a motorist who had crashed her SUV in a remote desert area.
Observing the driver losing control, crossing multiple lanes, and crashing into a field, Ramos promptly called for help. He remained with the injured driver until emergency crews arrived.
“Since it was such a remote area, it could have been a long time until help arrived,” Ramos said. “I was glad to be there when it happened and to call for help quickly.”
In celebration of the award’s 40th year and Goodyear’s 125th anniversary, two truckers were chosen to receive the honor from a broader pool of commercial drivers than ever before. Rich Cottrell, Goodyear’s senior director of commercial marketing, highlighted the nominees’ collective demonstration of the pivotal role truckers play in ensuring safety.
“The stories submitted this year reinforced the important job that commercial drivers play in our everyday lives and illustrate in heroic ways the powerful impact professional drivers can have on the roads, individual lives, and communities when they help others,” Cottrell said.
VanNostrand and Ramos now join the ranks of 42 other recipients of the esteemed Highway Hero Award. Additionally, two other drivers, Joshua Day and Russel Peasley, were acknowledged as runners-up for this year’s award, receiving recognition and prizes from Goodyear.
Established to honor truck drivers who selflessly contribute to the well-being of others on North American highways, the Highway Hero Award nomination period for the 2024 award will open in the fall, ensuring a continued celebration of acts of valor in the trucking community.
Source: Land Line
