Truckers who helped save people from a fiery highway crash in northern Alberta are being hailed as heroes. The truckers jumped into action after falling logs struck a pickup trick.
The accident took place on the morning of Saturday, November 29. Alvin Brockman, a trucker who arrived on the scene shortly after the incident took place, says he was alarmed by mountains of black smoke on the horizon.
“It was pretty much like a war zone,” notes Brockman, who immediately radioed for help. “The … logs [were] strewn all over the place. The pickup’s cab [was] just squished.”
When Brockman arrived on the scene he found another trucker, Mohamad Moghrabi, desperately searching for survivors. Moghrabi’s main concern was the possibility that the truck could explode, killing everyone within the crash area.
“Everything is on fire around you,” Moghrabi recalled. “And you’re wondering ‘is this [diesel] going to catch on fire?’”
Brockman, who has been trained to act in search and rescue operations, quickly took control of the increasingly dangerous situation.
But Moghrabi also played a critical role. Shortly after arriving on the scene he found an injured driver and took him to safety. “He was covered in blood, but he was coherent,” Moghrabi said. “I bandaged him up … I let him sit in the truck and calm down.”
The crash took place in remote northern Alberta, which meant it was roughly 45 minutes before emergency medical services teams could reach the scene. When they arrived authorities found two vehicles engulfed in flames. It became clear that the actions of Brockman and Moghrabi had been crucial in saving lives.
For his part Brockman says it’s a day he’ll never forget. “That’s going to haunt me,” Brockman said. “It’s just something you try to get over.”