A Fulton truck driver was awarded the “Highway Angel” pin for his efforts in assisting three young woman involved in a fatal rollover car accident earliy this year.
Bill Bowering, a professional Class A CDL truck driver for H.O. Wolding, Inc. of Amherst, Wisc., was recently named a Truckload Carriers Association Highway Angel .
On April 28, Bowering was driving southbound on 1-57 near Mattoon, Ill. when the car carrying the three young women, passed him on the left.
As it reentered the right lane, the driver hit a pothole, apparently overcorrected and lost control of the vehicle. The car flipped over and slid down the side of the road into a ditch.
Bowering stopped his truck and ran over to the crash to see if he could help. Several other vehicles were passing the accident but no one stopped.
When he got to the car, two of the women were climbing out of the wreck. The third woman was still trapped inside.
Not thinking about his own safety, Bowering climbed into the car to check on the woman trapped inside. He checked her pulse but could not find one. He also looked for signs of breathing, but again, there were none.
After a few minutes, another driver who happened to be a paramedic stopped and he took over care of the woman in the car. Bowering then was able to turn his attention to the other two women. He did his best to console them and ease their grief until authorities arrived on the scene.
Bowering was still shaken when he recounted details of the accident to his manager, Deb Senechal.
According to Senechal, when Bowering told her what had happened, all he could think about was, “I was too late. I couldn’t do anything about the driver.”
Senechal said
she told him, “You did your best and tried everything you could to save her and that is all you can do. If you could have done any more, you would have.”
Senechal, who nominated Bowering for the Highway Angel award, describes him as an “all-around nice guy and very modest.”
“I am very proud of Bill and it is an honor to work with him,” she said. “Although Bill is very humble about his efforts, he should feel proud of his actions. His heroics, affirmed through this award are truly inspiring.”
For his efforts, Bowering received a Highway Angel lapel pin, certificate and patch.
Marc Wolding, vice president of operations, agreed. “We are very proud that one of our drivers had the foresight to react so courageously in the face of such a severe, life threatening accident,” he said. “Bill Bowering is to be commended on his quick thinking and his ability to handle the situation with strength and determination.”
Over the last 15 years, the Highway Angel program, managed by the Truckload Carriers Association, has recognized hundreds of truck drivers across North America.
Highway Angel recognition is granted for often unnoticed, life-saving rescues and roadside assistance ranging from simple acts of kindness, such as fixing a flat tire, to heroic life-saving efforts, such as pulling someone from a burning vehicle and administering CPR, while on the job.
No stranger to fame, Bowering also stepped into the spotlight last year at the renowned Talent Quest singing contest by advancing through local, state, regional and national levels to proceed to the Final Five round, where he won Third Place, 2009 Male Country/Western Singer.
