A truck driver trainer and his student showed extraordinary courage and heart when they came upon the scene of an accident. Due to their heroic actions, they helped save the life of a young child.
Ty Mauzerolle and his student driver Leonel Sanchez were on I-40 in Arizona with Mauzerolle at the wheel. The two were near Holbrook, Arizona, in the middle of the desert, when they saw flames casting an orange glow out into the night.
Mauzerolle hit the brakes and stopped just before two cars. One vehicle was in the left lane on its side. The other was near the right lane and on fire. Sanchez called 911 while Mauzerolle grabbed the fire extinguisher and ran to the flames. As he approached, he could hear the screams of a child.
“I knew we had to get this kid out of the car,” Mauzerolle told the Truckload Carriers Association, “but it was really mangled, and the doors weren’t opening.”
Using the fire extinguisher, Mauzerolle was able to get the flames out with the help of other drivers. But he knew that the boy still wasn’t safe. Using the tools from his truck that Sanchez brought, Mauzerolle was able to pry open the doors of the car and get the child out.
Mauzerolle wrapped the 9-10 year old boy in a blanket and carried him away from the car.
“I was on the ground with this kid in my arms,” recalled Mauzerolle. “A trooper arrived and said he would be happy to take over, but I didn’t want to let him go until he was put in an ambulance.”
The boy was in an enormous amount of pain and was screaming, but wouldn’t let first responders with a syringe full of pain medication near him. He kept asking for his father, the driver who was clearly deceased in the vehicle the boy had been pulled from.
“I asked him if he liked video games,” Mauzerolle said. “I told him I had a Nintendo Switch in the truck and that if he took the shot then he could have the game. This was the worst day in that kid’s life. I wanted to do anything to take his mind off what just happened.”
The boy was air evacuated to a Phoenix children’s hospital. It was determined that he had broken both arms, both legs, and at least one rib. He hadn’t been wearing a seat belt.
Mauzerolle later learned that the deceased driver of the other vehicle had been an elderly man driving the wrong direction.
“This wasn’t reckless driving,” emphasized Mauzerolle. “This was an accident. Anything can happen. It makes you appreciate what you have. The next day I called all my family.”
Mauzerolle and Sanchez weren’t the only truckers to stop and help that night. If details of this story sound familiar, that might be because William and Becky Gregory, a husband and wife team, were among those who stopped to help as well. Or it might sound familiar because when far-too-common fatal accidents like these occur, truckers like Mauzerolle, Sanchez, and the Gregorys somehow always end up rushing to give help where it’s needed.
Well done, drivers.
Source: highway angel
Good to have trucker angels out there.
Well done Hero’s, fellow hands. Thank you
In all I am Happy God put some other drivers in the presence of the people in need of help the most.
Well done guys
Ten thumbs up to Mauzerolle.
Please proof read stories before posting them. I40 does not run in Nevada. They were in Arizona.
The story states I-40 in Arizona
There are truck driver angels where so Thank God and wave to those on the highway traveling around the world to bring food and supplies to those that cannot operate without tractor trailer drivers.
Thank you…. We hardly get any recognition or respect for what we do !
Angels are Everywhere
As much as most “four wheelers” hate big trucks, it’s the truckers who are the first to stop as cars keep whizzing by. Then they’re heroes and angels.
I don’t think 4 wheelers so much hate truckers it’s like some first responders. If you are run off the road by one or nearly hit, they hold it against all truckers. A lot of newbie drivers caused that along with dispatch always pushing with hot load bs. I couldn’t take it anymore when I was given 15 minutes to fuel and no other stopping ( before the required lunch break ) peeing in a can and not being allowed time to shower or eat isn’t my lifestyle.
Wow, that brought tears to my eyes. These two certainly were hero’s (angels) that night.
Nice story but in today’s world not the smartest actions far too many criminal elements that would use this scenario to end up with the drivers ending up dead…call me cold if you want I call it reality
So sad and heroic at the same time, glad the boy lived ♥️
I watched a car swerve off the road go into a ditch snd go air Bourne then rolled and land up right I immediately pulled over and jumped same fence her car flew over she was screaming my baby my baby he was secure in his car seat in back seat. They were both taken by ambulance to local hospital and released. I was the only semi truck that stopped that day. If I wouldn’t of stopped no telling how long she would if been in that Feild.
I’d sure want to play a video game if my father was killed in a car accident.