Truckie John Fabian has been recognised with a Bridgestone Bandag Highway Guardian Award for his efforts helping out at the scene of a head-on crash on a remote stretch of South Australia’s Eyre Highway in February.

The Redstar Transport driver was one of the first on the scene of the crash, which occurred around 150km west of Ceduna, and the award recognises his efforts in coordinating a response and assisting emergency services.

Having spent 10 years in the military and three years contracting in Iraq, Mr Fabian’s instincts kicked in immediately – contacting his operations team in Melbourne to relay his location to local emergency services before walking the scene to check on those involved.

He discovered occupants of both vehicles had sustained bad injuries and required medical attention as quickly as possible. Speaking directly with the emergency services team, the truckie outlined details of the accident and the injuries, ensuring paramedics were well prepared when they arrived.

Mr Fabian received universal praise for his composure, which ensured emergency services arrived at the crash quickly and well prepared.

“Mr Fabian’s ability to calmly assess the situation and pass critical information on to emergency services meant that not only were they on the scene quickly, but they were also prepared for what awaited them,” Bridgestone Australia and New Zealand Managing Director Andrew Moffatt said.

ATA Chair Geoff Crouch also praised Mr Fabian for his efforts in coordinating a rapid emergency response to the accident.

“All truck drivers have a basic set of protocols to follow in these kind of situations, but John’s response is indicative of someone with a wealth of emergency experience,” Mr Crouch said.

“We are lucky to have a driver of his calibre on the roads, and I commend his ability to remain calm and composed and to take charge of the situation.”

The Bridgestone Bandag Highway Guardian Award honours the great community service performed by professional truck drivers who go above and beyond the call of duty to assist those around them during the course of their normal work.

Find out more about the Highway Guardian Award or nominate a potential candidate with the Australian Trucking Accossiation.


LINKS:

Bridgestone Australia - www.bridgestonetyres.com.au/

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