Dennis C. Johnson attempted to rescue Robert L. Owen and saved Edward W. Couch from burning, Columbia City, Indiana, June 18, 1981. After his tractor-trailer rig struck another truck in a highway accident, Owen, 30, was trapped inside the burning cab. Johnson, 39, truck driver, climbed onto the cab’s side and tried to free Owen from the wreckage. Couch, 16, stood on a fuel tank on the driver’s side of the cab and also tried to free Owen. After slipping and falling to the ground, Johnson reached up and pulled Edward away from the cab moments before the fuel tank exploded. Johnson and Edward were treated for minor injuries. Owen died.
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