William D. Groover rescued Grover C. Dykes from burning, Ooltewah, Tennessee, February 17, 1947. While Dykes, 53, meter installer, and Groover, 30 apprentice meter installer, were riding in the cab of an autotruck operated by a third man, the driver lost control of it; and it finally toppled on its right side on the roadway. The driver and then Groover climbed out of the cab window; and they escaped being burned, as flames broke out underneath the cab. Dykes, who had sustained fractures of three ribs, extended his arms out over the vertical cab roof but was unable to climb out; and flames rose from inside the cab around his face and shoulders and from gasoline on the roadway near the cab roof. The driver tried to pull Dykes from the cab but could not and then ran out of the fire area. Flames rose much higher around Dykes from inside the cab and rose six feet from the roadway. Groover ran back 20 feet to the cab, momentarily shielding his face from the roadway flames, and standing in flames took hold of Dykes, pulled him from the cab, and dragged him off the roadway. After Groover had put out flames on his own clothing, he and the driver extinguished flames on the clothing of Dykes. The fire burned for 15 minutes, but no explosion occurred. Dykes sustained serious burns causing partial disablement. Groover sustained serious burns, which completely healed in 10 weeks. 41124-3565
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