Goodyear Highway Hero crowned

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — 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.

Regener, a 13-year veteran truck driver, was named the 2006 Highway Hero in Louisville, Ky. for saving his own life and the lives of two men who caused the tragic accident.

The 43-year-old truck driver 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. The pickup then burst into flames 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 exited the passenger door and ran to the blazing car that caused the accident.

He finally dislodged the passenger door until the fire forced him to the driver’s side. The driver and another man were both in the passenger seat, “wedged in among the broken seats and smashed contents.”

“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,” Regener said.

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 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. Charles Ingram, a Jackson, Ga., driver for FedEx Ground, was named the 2002 North America Highway Hero.