2006 Heroes Page

The Johnsons rushed over to the site with their 30-ton wrecker. Robert backed onto the field, attached two chains to the tractor and performed a vertical lift so the fire department could crib under it and extricate the farmer, who was air lifted out of the scene.

American Towman Commendation

IN CONTROL

Derek Bjork
Vista Towing
Moses Lake, Washington

A two-vehicle crash on Interstate 90 left a Ford pickup on its roof on the crest of a shallow hill near the highway. The roof had folded around the head and neck of the driver. Rescuers quickly realized they were not going to get their tools in close enough to successfully free the seriously injured man.

Derek Bjork backed his wrecker up to the truck and on a downhill grade to position himself alongside the pickup. He chocked his wheels, and extended twin lines to the casualty’s front and rear axles. With the wheel lift, he lifted the truck slowly into the air and then rotated it to a safe position for the rescuers to extricate the driver. To do this, he needed to stay at his controls, which put him in between the wrecked truck itself and his own wrecker on the downhill grade.

Derek’s expertise at the controls of his truck was the only thing preventing the casualty from falling back onto its roof. The driver was treated for multiple life-threatening injuries and made a full recovery.

American Towman Medal

UNDER TENSION

Eric Fouquette
Big Wheel Truck Sales
Dartmouth, Mass.

Eric Fouquette was called to a rolled over tractor-trailer that had taken down a large amount of guardrail, flipped down a steep embankment, taking down trees, telephone poles, and dropping power lines on top of the truck and trailer. The driver was ejected and trapped under the tractor, entangled in the truck frame and in terrible pain.

With the heavy power lines off, but directly overhead and sagging perilously from the weight, Eric positioned his 60-ton rotator so he could have enough extension without pulling forward on the tractor and further injuring or killing the driver. He was now working under extremely dangerous and stressful conditions, and with the hospital helicopter’s motor running, waiting to take the injured man.

With one line, Eric strapped the cab. With the other, he strapped the power lines. The tractor was lifted from the driver, who was airlifted to hospital.

American Towman Medal

SAVING HIS FATHER

Franklin D. Ragan
Ragan Motors
Rising Sun, Maryland

Franklin D. Ragan was awarded an American Towman Medal through several courageous acts during his long career as a towing professional. When Franklin was 15, his dad, Earl Ragan, was hooking up a casualty at the base of a hill on a local road, where it intersects U.S. Route 1. Another car came bounding over the hill and smacked into the back of the tow truck, pinning Earl between the casualty and his own truck. Franklin got behind the wheel of his dad’s tow truck, drove it and freed his dad. Earl’s back was broken, and he was unable to continue working. Franklin took over the business.

About 30 years later, Franklin saved the lives of two elderly women trapped in their car as floodwaters rose around them. Franklin attached himself to a cable, waded through the water, and hooked up the car with the people inside. He pulled himself out and then winched the car and passengers to safety. The waters then rose so high, the car would have been washed into the nearby canal.

American Towman Medal

TO THE WAITING HELICOPTER

Keith Klos Jr.
Road Runner Wrecker Service
Sterling, Virginia

Keith was driving on a highway near Remington, Va., when he came upon a cement mixer that had rolled over into a field, trapping its driver in the cab. Keith and another passerby pulled down a heavily reinforced barbed wire fence to provide rescue workers access to the vehicle. But they were stymied in their efforts to free him.

The fire chief soon took Keith up on his offer to help. He unloaded the vehicle he was towing and pulled closer to the casualty. As they planned Keith’s maneuvers, a wind picked up and it began to pour.

With his outriggers deeply buried in the ground and the under reach buried into the opposite side of the ditch, he ran the winch lines to the mixer. He pulled it some 18 inches into the air, twisted it for better access to the patient, and held it in place as rescue workers worked feverishly to free the victim in a driving rain. Keith was paired with a fireman with a radio and explicit instructions were delivered on what was needed to work with the crews.

After what seemed like an eternity, Keith says, the driver was free and rushed to an awaiting helicopter.

For Courageous Professionalism…Keith Klos Jr.

HIGHWAY HERO

Nathan Hall
American Eagle Towing
Marietta, Ga.

While driving on the very busy five-lane Interstate 75 on his way to another call, Nathan Hall noticed a car stalled in the middle lane. It was 4 p.m. and the driver was terrified as cars and trucks whizzed past her, many swerving out of the way only at the last moment. While she was on the phone with her motor club, she mentally prepared for the worst.

That’s when Nathan Hall drove right up in front of her car, and dropped his wrecker bed. He stepped out of his truck and escorted the frightened woman into it, then quickly and efficiently hooked her vehicle up and towed it away.

American Towman Medal

SAVING A CHILD

Sammy Lawrimore
Sammy’s Towing,
Hartselle, Ala.

Just days after returning from the hospital, where he had been treated for a heat attack at the age of 35, Sammy Lawrimore heard on the police scanner that a baby was trapped inside an upside down SUV submerged in a creek.

Impulsively, he jumped into his tow truck, with no regard to his own health, strenuously shifting gears. EMT’s and firefighters were on scene but couldn’t locate the child.

Sammy pulled the cables off his truck and dropped them down the bank. He tied off to the SUV with his wrecker, stabilized it to keep it from drifting farther out into the creek and the team started trying to move it a bit.

The back hatch was open. They reached in and the unconscious 2-year-old boy floated out. Sammy protected the others on the scene, and helped rescue the child, who survived.

American Towman Medal

FREEING A TRAPPED OFFICER

Thomas Branch Jr.
United Towing Services
Cleveland

While driving on Interstate 90, Tom Branch came upon a multi-vehicle accident that had just occurred in the high-speed lane of the four-lane highway. All he saw was a jack-knifed tractor-trailer blocking everything in sight. He pulled over to help.

Two policemen had been hurt, one with life-threatening injuries. He was pinned between a concrete barrier and one of the vehicles in the wreck. He had injuries to his head, and his leg was pinned under the vehicle.

Tom positioned his truck perpendicular to the Jeep Grand Cherokee that was up against the officer, and winched off of him. The officer survived, but seven months later, is still not back at work.

American Towman Commendation


	The American Towman Medal is awarded on Festival Night to towing professionals who put their life at risk in the endeavor to save another life. The Towman Commendation is awarded for Couragious Professionalsim Under Fire in the endeavor to save a life. Festival Night is sponsored by the Jerr-Dan Corporation. Jerr-Dan is the Official Tow Body of the American Towman Medal. International Trucks is the Official Chassis of the American Towman Medal. The Towman Medal and Commendation is presented by American Towman Magazine. 2005 Recipients.
	The following are the sponsors:
	OFFICIAL TOW BODY		OFFICIAL CHASSIS
	SAVING A FARMER Bill Johnson Robert Johnson Hampshire Towing Granby, Mass. Bill and Robert Johnson heard the voice of a frantic police officer on their scanner. They needed equipment to lift a farm tractor off a local farmer who was trapped beneath it. He had been pulling a tree across a field, when the tractor flipped back onto itself. The farmer was pinned into the soft earth, with his tractor pushing down. The Johnsons rushed over to the site with their 30-ton wrecker. Robert backed onto the field, attached two chains to the tractor and performed a vertical lift so the fire department could crib under it and extricate the farmer, who was air lifted out of the scene. American Towman Commendation IN CONTROL Derek Bjork Vista Towing Moses Lake, Washington A two-vehicle crash on Interstate 90 left a Ford pickup on its roof on the crest of a shallow hill near the highway. The roof had folded around the head and neck of the driver. Rescuers quickly realized they were not going to get their tools in close enough to successfully free the seriously injured man. Derek Bjork backed his wrecker up to the truck and on a downhill grade to position himself alongside the pickup. He chocked his wheels, and extended twin lines to the casualty’s front and rear axles. With the wheel lift, he lifted the truck slowly into the air and then rotated it to a safe position for the rescuers to extricate the driver. To do this, he needed to stay at his controls, which put him in between the wrecked truck itself and his own wrecker on the downhill grade. Derek’s expertise at the controls of his truck was the only thing preventing the casualty from falling back onto its roof. The driver was treated for multiple life-threatening injuries and made a full recovery. American Towman Medal UNDER TENSION Eric Fouquette Big Wheel Truck Sales Dartmouth, Mass. Eric Fouquette was called to a rolled over tractor-trailer that had taken down a large amount of guardrail, flipped down a steep embankment, taking down trees, telephone poles, and dropping power lines on top of the truck and trailer. The driver was ejected and trapped under the tractor, entangled in the truck frame and in terrible pain. With the heavy power lines off, but directly overhead and sagging perilously from the weight, Eric positioned his 60-ton rotator so he could have enough extension without pulling forward on the tractor and further injuring or killing the driver. He was now working under extremely dangerous and stressful conditions, and with the hospital helicopter’s motor running, waiting to take the injured man. With one line, Eric strapped the cab. With the other, he strapped the power lines. The tractor was lifted from the driver, who was airlifted to hospital. American Towman Medal SAVING HIS FATHER Franklin D. Ragan Ragan Motors Rising Sun, Maryland Franklin D. Ragan was awarded an American Towman Medal through several courageous acts during his long career as a towing professional. When Franklin was 15, his dad, Earl Ragan, was hooking up a casualty at the base of a hill on a local road, where it intersects U.S. Route 1. Another car came bounding over the hill and smacked into the back of the tow truck, pinning Earl between the casualty and his own truck. Franklin got behind the wheel of his dad’s tow truck, drove it and freed his dad. Earl’s back was broken, and he was unable to continue working. Franklin took over the business. About 30 years later, Franklin saved the lives of two elderly women trapped in their car as floodwaters rose around them. Franklin attached himself to a cable, waded through the water, and hooked up the car with the people inside. He pulled himself out and then winched the car and passengers to safety. The waters then rose so high, the car would have been washed into the nearby canal. American Towman Medal TO THE WAITING HELICOPTER Keith Klos Jr. Road Runner Wrecker Service Sterling, Virginia Keith was driving on a highway near Remington, Va., when he came upon a cement mixer that had rolled over into a field, trapping its driver in the cab. Keith and another passerby pulled down a heavily reinforced barbed wire fence to provide rescue workers access to the vehicle. But they were stymied in their efforts to free him. The fire chief soon took Keith up on his offer to help. He unloaded the vehicle he was towing and pulled closer to the casualty. As they planned Keith’s maneuvers, a wind picked up and it began to pour. With his outriggers deeply buried in the ground and the under reach buried into the opposite side of the ditch, he ran the winch lines to the mixer. He pulled it some 18 inches into the air, twisted it for better access to the patient, and held it in place as rescue workers worked feverishly to free the victim in a driving rain. Keith was paired with a fireman with a radio and explicit instructions were delivered on what was needed to work with the crews. After what seemed like an eternity, Keith says, the driver was free and rushed to an awaiting helicopter. For Courageous Professionalism…Keith Klos Jr. HIGHWAY HERO Nathan Hall American Eagle Towing Marietta, Ga. While driving on the very busy five-lane Interstate 75 on his way to another call, Nathan Hall noticed a car stalled in the middle lane. It was 4 p.m. and the driver was terrified as cars and trucks whizzed past her, many swerving out of the way only at the last moment. While she was on the phone with her motor club, she mentally prepared for the worst. That’s when Nathan Hall drove right up in front of her car, and dropped his wrecker bed. He stepped out of his truck and escorted the frightened woman into it, then quickly and efficiently hooked her vehicle up and towed it away. American Towman Medal SAVING A CHILD Sammy Lawrimore Sammy’s Towing, Hartselle, Ala. Just days after returning from the hospital, where he had been treated for a heat attack at the age of 35, Sammy Lawrimore heard on the police scanner that a baby was trapped inside an upside down SUV submerged in a creek. Impulsively, he jumped into his tow truck, with no regard to his own health, strenuously shifting gears. EMT’s and firefighters were on scene but couldn’t locate the child. Sammy pulled the cables off his truck and dropped them down the bank. He tied off to the SUV with his wrecker, stabilized it to keep it from drifting farther out into the creek and the team started trying to move it a bit. The back hatch was open. They reached in and the unconscious 2-year-old boy floated out. Sammy protected the others on the scene, and helped rescue the child, who survived. American Towman Medal FREEING A TRAPPED OFFICER Thomas Branch Jr. United Towing Services Cleveland While driving on Interstate 90, Tom Branch came upon a multi-vehicle accident that had just occurred in the high-speed lane of the four-lane highway. All he saw was a jack-knifed tractor-trailer blocking everything in sight. He pulled over to help. Two policemen had been hurt, one with life-threatening injuries. He was pinned between a concrete barrier and one of the vehicles in the wreck. He had injuries to his head, and his leg was pinned under the vehicle. Tom positioned his truck perpendicular to the Jeep Grand Cherokee that was up against the officer, and winched off of him. The officer survived, but seven months later, is still not back at work. American Towman Commendation