‘Highway Angel’ Trucker Rescues Police Officer When No One Else Would
Gary Wilburn admits, I’m that idiot that runs into burning buildings and pulls out pets – when I see something like that, I can’t keep going on about my day.”
A veteran Arkansas State Trooper must be very grateful for the kind of “idiot” Wilburn is. This Texas-based trucker stopped to rescue the officer who was trapped in his cruiser after a crash.
Wilburn was driving his truck by Forrest City, Arkansas when he hit heavy highway traffic. While crawling along, he spotted a crash. “I was in traffic for an hour before I saw the trooper. Some of the stuff I noticed was insane—no one’s calling the police, cars are driving by, and no one stopped to help him.”
The trucker did not see the crash and didn’t know how it happened. But considering the heavy stop-and-go traffic, it is easy to imagine the trooper was involved in some kind of rear-ending that turned into a hit-and-run.
What Wilburn did notice was the officer’s condition. After he called 911, he stopped and checked on the man.
“He was banged up really bad, lower legs were broken, upper legs were broken and he was just pinned in. His legs were crushed really badly.”
Gary Wilburn, Anderson Trucking Service
Wilburn stayed with the police officer until help arrived. The officer was airlifted to Regional One Hospital in Memphis. The Arkansas State Police did not reveal his name, but did say he has been on the force since 2014. He is still recovering.
The Truckload Carriers Association awarded Wilburn its “Highway Angel” award for his heroism. His employer, Anderson Trucking Services also said, “Thank you, Gary, for going above and beyond.”
Next, read about the veteran and trucker who saved a choking woman’s life.
