Bill G. Poulos, a driver for FedEx Freight of Portland, Ore., has been named a Truckload Carriers Association Highway Angel for helping a small child caught in a bad situation.
On Dec. 31, as Poulos drove along I-84 in Oregon, he came upon an accident. He didn’t know it at the time, but a man had allegedly raped and kidnapped the woman he lived with and kidnapped her 2-year-old child. Apparently, when the woman escaped from the vehicle, the man attempted to run her over. He lost control of his car, slammed into a rock wall and rolled several times. His car was then hit by another vehicle, and the man was ejected onto the pavement.
Poulos found a 2-year old girl strapped to her car seat inside the wrecked car. He reached through a broken window and cut the seat belt off the child. Then he crawled on top of the wreckage and pulled the little girl through the sunroof. The child was transported to a hospital, where she was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Poulos will receive a Highway Angel lapel pin, certificate, and clothing patch. He is also being honored with a humanitarian award from FedEx. “I appreciate the recognition, but my greatest reward is helping that little girl out,” said Poulos.
