Goodyear's 25th Highway Hero Honors Abby, Her Family
28 March 2008 - 11:30PM
PR Newswire (US)
LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- To Goodyear's
25th North American Highway Hero winners, the actual hero is
9-year-old Abby Bern. Despite their lofty life-saving efforts, they
insist they're merely "Abby's Angels." (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050204/GTLOGO ) Although
truck driver Richard Filiczkowski, of Zion, Ill., jumped into an
icy South Dakota pond on April 26, 2007, and saved Abby's life, he
and wife Janet say the little girl is the "real hero. She really
is. She was so strong. I couldn't believe that this little girl
could be so strong. She was just amazing." Abby and her mother,
Mrs. Marty Bern, were scheduled on Thursday night to help Goodyear
officials crown Filiczkowski, 38, now of Bountiful, Utah, as the
2007 Highway Hero at the Mid-America Trucking Show. Janet
Filiczkowski was driving the C.R. England rig along a quiet stretch
of Interstate 90 about 100 miles west of Sioux Falls when she saw a
car cross four lanes of traffic and careen into a pond. She yelled
for her husband, who was resting in the sleeper compartment.
Filiczkowski quickly dressed, grabbed his shoes and ran a
quarter-mile to the scene. "I dove right in because I saw Abby
pounding on the car's back window. My only instinct was to get her
out of the car as soon as possible. In situations like that,
seconds count," Filiczkowski said. Also inside the car and
submerged in eight feet of water was Abby's father. Rescuing the
Worthington, Minn., girl, then 8, proved to be easier than pulling
an unconscious Dr. Jeff Bern, a 42-year-old pediatrician and father
of three, from the driver's seat. Two other men joined Filiczkowski
in the water, but the car doors were stuck. They somehow managed to
open the rear hatch, and Filiczkowski carried the girl to Janet,
who worked to warm the girl and distract her from the rescue
attempts on her father. Dr. Bern was held in his car by a seat
belt. One of the men found a pocketknife on shore and used it to
cut part of the seat belt; Filiczkowski cut the remainder, but the
man's legs remained lodged under the steering column. One rescuer
freed one of the man's legs, and Filiczkowski dislodged the other.
After 10 minutes, the truck driver finally pulled the father from
the car and swam to shore, but it was too late. "I wish I was
faster for him. My only regret, I just wish I was faster," Richard
said. Marty Bern was so thankful for Abby's rescue that she invited
the Filiczkowskis to her husband's funeral. Richard and Janet
considered it an honor and attended the services. Donn Kramer,
director of marketing for Goodyear commercial tire systems, said,
"Richard's name is on the award, but his wife and tandem truck
driver Janet is equally deserving. Together, their heroics are
truly inspiring. They are a wonderful couple. "Richard and Janet
Filiczkowski and the three Highway Hero finalists are all heroes in
our book. Their families and friends should find comfort in knowing
they helped others without regard for their own lives," Kramer
said. Founded by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in 1983,
the Highway Hero program recognizes professional truck drivers and
the often unnoticed, life- saving rescues and roadside assistance
they provide as their jobs take them across North America. The
other Highway Hero finalists included: -- Rick Tower, of Yreka,
Calif., driver for Earl Bryant Trucking - Tower rescued an
82-year-old woman from her sinking car after it left the roadway
and landed in the swift Klamath River. -- David Virgoe, of
Innisfil, Ontario, driver for Wilburn Archer Trucking - Mr. Virgoe
swerved his empty tanker truck to avoid three street-racing cars,
slammed into the median guardrail and veered off the highway to
avoid colliding with oncoming traffic. He died in the accident. --
Ronnie Greene, of Regina, N.M., driver for A. Passmore & Sons -
Greene rescued a pregnant woman from a brutal attack after she was
run over by her boyfriend's truck. For more on Goodyear's Highway
Hero program and to nominate a truck driver for the 26th
anniversary of the award, go to
http://www.goodyear.com/truck/news/hero.html .
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050204/GTLOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: The Goodyear Tire &
Rubber Company CONTACT: Dave Wilkins of The Goodyear Tire &
Rubber Company, +1-330-796-3758, Web site: http://www.goodyear.com/
http://www.goodyear.com/truck/news/hero.html
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