Truck driver awarded for life-saving actions

A Melbourne truck driver who saved a fellow driver from a fire has been recognised for his quick thinking.

Lewis Rowe, a Linfox truck driver, has received the Bridgestone Bandag Highway Guardian award for his prompt action at a crash site.

The award was presented at the Australian Trucking Association’s (ATA) Technology and Maintenance Conference in Melbourne, where Rowe was commended for assisting the driver of a rolled truck to escape as his prime mover caught fire.

Rowe was at a standstill for a separate incident near Holbrook on his run from Melbourne to Tarcutta on the night of 25 September, when another truck collided with a car behind him, rolled on its side and came to a stop alongside his B-double.

Without delay, Rowe sprung to the fellow driver’s aid, using his fire extinguisher to suppress flames and helping the driver out from behind the wheel and through the broken windscreen to escape with only superficial injuries as the stricken truck caught alight.

Rowe was also commended for moving his truck out of harm’s way after helping the other driver escape, ensuring the fire did not spread and become a multitruck blaze, and for his assistance to police following the accident.

“Lewis Rowe is a worthy recipient of the Bridgestone Bandag Highway Guardian accolade. He was selfless in the way he came to a fellow driver’s aid and, without his intervention, it could have been a much more catastrophic outcome,” said ATA Chairman Geoff Crouch.

“We are constantly reminded with accidents like this how dangerous our roads are, but the Bridgestone Bandag Highway Guardian also demonstrates how amazing individuals in our industry step up and go beyond the call of duty when faced with adversity and danger.”

Rowe’s nomination for the award was accompanied by glowing endorsements from police officers who attended the scene; his manager, Dennis Spirovski; and the President of Intermodal Linfox, Ian Strachan, describing him as an exemplary employee.

Bridgestone Australia and New Zealand Managing Director Stephen Roche agreed that Rowe should be acknowledged as a hero.

“The Bridgestone Bandag Highway Guardian award recognises regular truck drivers who do extraordinary things, and Lewis Rowe certainly fits this bill,” Roche said.

“You can’t imagine what it would be like to face an overturned truck, about to erupt into flames, but Mr Rowe encountered just that and put the needs of a fellow driver above his own.

“Actions like this deserve to be acknowledged and we take great pride in partnering with the Australian Trucking Association and highlighting those in the trucking community who go above and beyond in helping others.”

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/thanarak