California Goodyear Highway Hero Saves Lives in Arizona

LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 23 -- Goodyear's 24th North America Highway Hero Edward A. Regener, of Perris, Calif., escaped one fire and jumped into another to save the lives of two men trapped in their burning car.

The FedEx Freight truck driver scrambled from the passenger door of his damaged cab; a burning pickup truck was lodged against his driver's door, blocking an easy exit. To make matters worse, his twin trailers contained hazardous materials that would contribute to the spread of a toxic fire.

Incredibly, thanks to Regener and some other motorists, all lives were saved.

Regener, a 13-year veteran truck driver, was named the 2006 Highway Hero here on Thursday night. His quick thinking on Interstate 10 near Phoenix on Nov. 4, 2006, assuredly saved his life and the lives of two men who caused the tragic accident.

The 43-year-old truck driver was headed east on I-10 when he said he saw a westbound car headed his way across the median. At the same time, a pickup truck carrying an engaged couple was attempting to pass Regener. The speeding car collided with the pickup, pushing it into Regener's truck. The car, resting atop the guardrail, caught fire.

Fire erupted in the pickup and quickly spread to Regener's cab and the truck's first trailer, which contained drums of battery acid. With intense flames at the driver's door, Regener said he exited the passenger door and ran to the blazing car that caused the accident.

He said he struggled to open the car doors, which were pressurized by the heat. He finally dislodged the passenger door until the fire forced him to the driver's side. The car's contents -- the dash, back seat -- "were mashed together." The driver and another man were both in the passenger seat, "wedged in among the broken seats and smashed contents."

Kneeling in the car, braving the intense heat and breathing thick smoke, Regener said, "I ripped the inside of the car apart and started throwing pieces outside until I could he reach the two men. And then one by one, I handed them to other motorists."

Police said alcohol and excessive speed contributed to the accident. Regener's hazardous materials load -- paint was in the second trailer -- helped the fire spread faster in his truck.

David Cooper, of Buckeye, Ariz., who also was passing Regener's truck and saw the car heading across the median, stopped his vehicle ahead of the accident and ran back to assist the pickup driver and his fiancée. Cooper, who thought Regener had perished in the fiery crash, said he was overwhelmed to find him alive and talking with Arizona state police officers. Regener was treated and released at a local hospital for smoke inhalation.

Regener, only the second FedEx driver selected for the top award, also received a $10,000 U.S. Savings Bond and a specially designed Goodyear Highway Hero ring during the Mid America Trucking Show here. Charles Ingram, a Jackson, Ga., driver for FedEx Ground, was named the 2002 North America Highway Hero.

Peter Christoffersen, general manager of marketing for Goodyear commercial tire systems, said, "Too often, we only hear criticism about trucks and drivers, but that's not our view of the trucking industry. We know that most drivers are hardworking, safe and courteous. And in the cases of Ed Regener and the three Highway Hero finalists, these drivers stopped to help others without regard for their own lives."

"They're all heroes in our book," Christoffersen added.

Founded by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in 1983, the Highway Hero program recognizes professional truck drivers and the often unnoticed, life- saving rescues and roadside assistance they provide as their jobs take them across North America.

  The other Highway Hero finalists included:

  -- Elizabeth Pavlista, of Miami, Ariz., driver for B.J. Cecil Trucking
     Inc. - Pavlista rescued a woman from her burning car after it rolled
     down an embankment on Arizona 177 on Aug. 8.  The woman died from her
     injuries.

  -- Richard Miner, of Phoenix, driver for Saia Motor Freight - Miner saved
     a woman's life when her car crashed, rolled and burned in the
     Interstate 10 median near Phoenix on Sept. 28.

  -- Marlon Marum, of Burnsville, Minn., driver for Con-way Freight - Marum
     saved a Metro Transit police officer who was attacked by a drug suspect
     in downtown Minneapolis on Oct. 6.

For more on Goodyear's Highway Hero program and to nominate a truck driver for the 25th anniversary of the award, go to http://www.goodyear.com/truck/whatsnew/hero_overview.html.