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Tow driver's heroic efforts recognized
Source:
Cranberry Eagle
Written by:
Bob Schultz
Published:
January 6, 2010
CRANBERRY TWP — A long-established township towing company operator recently was honored for his role in helping to save lives at two accidents on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
James Turley of Turley Truck Service at 21275 Route 19 received the American Towman Commendation given this year to only four U.S. towing companies for showing professionalism on the job when a human life hung in the balance.
The commendation awards are presented annually by American Towman Magazine, a towing trade publication, and the Jerr-Dan Corp., a towing and recovery equipment dealer based in Greencastle, Pa., Franklin County.
On Dec. 22, 2008, Turley was called to the Turnpike in the area of New Sewickley Township, Beaver County, for an accident where a tractor-trailer had rolled over and pinned its driver in the truck's cab.
The truck had traveled off the road and struck a grove of trees pinning the driver's legs under the dashboard.
Rescue crews had called in an amputee specialist in case the man's legs had to be amputated to free him from the vehicle.
"It was two days before Christmas, and everyone (at the scene) was like, we can't let this happen. We have to try to save the man's legs if we can," Turley said.
He was able to use his 50-ton lift to remove the chassis to allow the rescuers to operate their extricating equipment to remove the pinned driver.
"It turned out that he didn't even have any broken bones in his legs, only skin and muscle damage that they (doctors) were able to repair. The gentlemen is already back to work," he said.
Then, on April 7 during the region's last ice storm before spring, a driver was pinned in a straight freight truck in a multiple vehicle crash on the Beaver River Bridge on the Turnpike near the Beaver Falls exit.
Turley said a tri-axle truck has struck the back of the vehicle, pinning the driver in the truck's cab.
Turley worked to cut the bulk head away, tied the truck to a rescue vehicle and used two heavy wreckers to pull the loaded triaxle truck from the straight freight truck allowing rescue crews to get to the driver.
The driver was taken by medical helicopter to a hospital for treatment.
Turley said that driver had major injuries including broken arms and legs, but he is expected to make a full recovery.
In addition to his longtime towing experience, Turley has extensive rescue training background since he has been a member of the Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company for 35 years and is a lifetime member.
Turley received his commendation Nov. 21 during the Festival Night in Baltimore. More than 600 towing and recovery professionals from across the country attended the event.
The commendation reads, "For Courageous Professionalism, in the Endeavor to Save A Human Life."
Neila Kennedy of American Towman, said that since 1989 the awarding of the American Towman Commendation has been a treasured event for the towing and recovery industry.
"It's a very big honor for him (Turley). We get quite a few nominations and only four were honored this year," she said.
Turley is humble in receiving his commendation, saying that he was only doing his job and that there were many other people involved in the positive outcomes at those scenes including all the fire, police and rescue crews.
"They called us heroes (at the ceremony), but we do just what we have to do when we get there (to the accident scene)," he said.
"It's very humbling to be in front of all those people who are your peers," said Turley, reflecting on accepting the award.
"You work with those people, and they do the same thing as you every day. I think everybody in that room has been faced with the same situation in their careers. I was just one of the ones who was singled out."
Turley Truck Service has operated in Cranberry since 1966. The family business was actually started by Turley's grandfather in 1928 in West Virginia before setting up shop at its current location.
"If one of my family members is out on the road and has a problem, even if it is something minor like a flat tire, I would want people to help them out as quickly and as professionally as possible. And if I want that for my family, then I have go out and give that kind of service to your family. That is how I was taught by my mom and dad many years ago," Turley said.
Twenty years ago, the Cranberry towing company was honored by American Towman as one of the 500 oldest towing companies in the U.S.
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