This Truck Driver Sacrificed His Own Life To Save Others By Driving A Burning Truck To A Remote Area Before It Exploded
Let’s face it – these days when you turn on the news or dare to flick through a newspaper, all they seem to be filled with is doom and gloom news stories about horrible people doing horrible things to people every. freakin’. day. Which can make it pretty hard to remember that there are actual heroes out there among us doing incredible things under the radar.
Well folks, that’s why I’m here to tell you about one of the most incredibly heart-breaking, selfless act stories I think I have ever, ever come across in all my years. (I know I know, that sounds super dramatic, but bear with me and read it for yourself!)
On Wednesday just gone, a commercial truck which was carrying highly flammable chemicals which are used as fertilizer exploded while driving down a highway in Arkansas, tragically killing its driver. Authorities may be still currently investigating the situation entirely, however, local people are already calling the driver of this truck a true, real-life hero.
But you may be wondering, why? Why exactly is this truck driver being hailed a hero after his tragic death? Well, that’s because, at the time of his tragic death, 63-year-old Randall McDougal was actually trying to extinguish the flames after he refused to abandon the vehicle and instead drove it away from the most populated areas.
(Image credits: BamBam The Trucker)
(Image credits: twitter.com)
According to the Arkansas State Police, the remains of Mr. McDougal, who hails from El Dorado, were recovered from the site of the explosion which happened along the U.S. Highway 278 west of Camden, which is also east of Nevada – Ouachita county line near Arkansas Highway 57.
(Image credits: ProMed Ambulance)
(Image credits: ProMed Ambulance)
It was reported that Mr. Mc Dougal was transporting ammonium nitrate (aka stuff that is NOT to be messed around with) when his brakes very suddenly caught on fire. The moment he noticed the fire he called 911, and then proceeded to take the now incredible dangerous vehicle to a far, remote area and parked it up where there was no houses or buildings… basically, nothing around that could be harmed or caused any damage.
Alas, even at that point, the capeless hero absolutely refused to give up. While first responders were doing their duty and evacuating nearby houses, McDougal was working hard to try and put out the fire himself. However, incredibly tragically, the tanker suddenly exploded, blowing a 15-foot (aka 4.5 meters!) crater in the middle of the road, of course completely killing him on site. So, so harrowing.
(Image credits: twitter.com)
(Image credits: ErikaFerrandoTV)
A one-mile perimeter has since been set and all the areas near Highway 278 as well as Highway 57 have now been evacuated.
“It looks like a bomb went off,” Camden Fire Chief Robert Medford told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “There’s a big hole in the ground on where the truck was at.”
(Image credits: ErikaFerrandoTV)
(Image credits: Unknown)
This awful, yet somewhat inspiring story was actually shared online by another truck driver who’s apparently known as ‘Bam Bam’. Since being shared, at the time of writing this piece, the post has already received just over 48k reactions and shares. Of course, during this massive time of loss, people are sending their thoughts and prayers to the family of McDougal, who I’m sure must be absolutely crushed… as well as slightly proud in a sense. Every single person who has heard this story so far is, of course, calling Mr. McDougal an absolute hero for selflessly putting his own life on the line in order to ensure the safety of others.
(Image credits: ErikaFerrandoTV|)
The Arkansas Department of Transportation said that their crews would begin repairing the massive crater once the wreckage from the accident has all been cleared up. The affected road is (luckily, I suppose?) a low-volume road that carries around 1,300 vehicles today, as reported by the department’s spokesman Danny Staessle.
(Image credits: ErikaFerrandoTV)
According to Melody Daniel, who is a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, officials are still yet to determine what actually caused the fire to start inside the truck in the first place. Also, there were three firefighters who were also injured and brought into the hospital in order to be treated for their injuries. Two of the firefighters were then later released, she said.
Camden Fire Department Assistant Chief Ron Nash (Now that’s a title and a half, eh?) reported that the force of the blast itself tore the tops of the surrounding pine trees clear off, as well as completely shattered the windshield of a nearby firetruck as well as a Camden Fairview School District bus.
But don’t just take their word of the for it, below are images which show just how devastating the effects of the blast were to the surrounding areas and anything that may have been in it’s pathway.
And here is a video which was also posted to Twitter by KATV News following the aftermath of the tragic and terrifying instead.
Here's video from the Ouachita Electric Cooperative of the scene down in Camden. The Department of Emergency Management has confirmed one has died from the explosion. @KATVNews #ARNews pic.twitter.com/W8zspbj8Nj
— Nick Popham (@KATVPopham) March 27, 2019
I can’t even imagine how the family of McDougal must be feeling right now. It just goes to show that you really never know the moment folks… tell the people you love that you love them while you can because tomorrow is never, ever promised and every time you leave the house it’s never 100% certain that you’ll return (Sorry sorry, I know that is dark and depressing as HECK but it’s also very very true!).
What did I tell you, folks? I know this is an awful story of loss, but it’s also an incredible tale of self-sacrifice and an unlikely hero. There are people out there doing amazing things every single day, and if you know of any other heroes out there let me know in the comments. Also, don’t forget to share this with your friends and family not only to inspire them but also to keep McDougals legacy and memory going far and wide. AAx
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