NCI Safety Director: Jill Maschmeier
Recently, I received a call from a disabled driver – John Anderson, who was at the Flying J truck stop in Cheyenne, WY. Freezing rain had been falling, making the conditions were very slick.
An NCI driver had pulled into the truck stop and had gotten out. Our driver went into the store, leaving his truck unattended, expect for his pit bulldog. As our driver was inside, Anderson noticed our truck and trailer starting to slide toward a parked gasoline tanker. As he sat helplessly, John noticed a driver jump out of his truck, sprint past parked trucks to the sliding NCI truck and open the driver’s door. Unwilling to fight off the attacking dog, the unknown hero slammed the driver side door and leaped onto the truck’s catwalk. With a single movement he able to separate the glad-hands on the air lines, stopping the truck and trailer within a few feet of the highly flammable gasoline tanker.
Had it not been for John witnessing the episode, we may have never known the prompt actions of the anonymous hero. The driver did not know NCI from Adam – He just did the right thing…GOD love him.
I called the company he worked for, Tri State Commodities out of Greely CO to report his actions that prevented a major incident. The office shared that Billy DeMarco was the extremely brave driver who saw a need and sprang into action without fanfare or thought for his own personal safety.
On behalf of National Carriers, Inc, I would like to thank all of the drivers that do the right thing every day without thought of reward or recognition. Our industry boasts the reputation of having the Knights of the Highway as our foundation. Grudgingly, Mr. Demarco accepted our small token of appreciation for his quick reaction to a potential disaster.