September 15, 2016

Beyond the call of duty: Correctional officer pulls man from burning vehicle

Texas Department of Criminal Justice Correctional Officer Seth Blackwell is receiving high praise from his peers after he saved a man who was trapped inside a burning truck near Bonham, Texas.

Officer Blackwell and two other drivers were traveling on Texas State Highway 78 around 1:15 PM on Monday, September 12 when they came upon an 18-wheel truck that had gone off the road and into a creek bed. The truck was on fire and the driver was trapped inside with a broken leg.

Officer Blackwell began pulling on the driver's door of the cab to get the driver out but it was stuck. "I guess that's when the adrenaline took over," he said. "I just pulled on that door as hard as I could and it opened just enough that I was able to pull him out."

Officer Blackwell and the others then pulled the driver up a small hill out of the creek bed to the shoulder of the road where they waited until emergency personnel arrived. The driver was transported to a nearby hospital for immediate treatment and was then moved to a hospital in Plano where he's listed in critical condition but is expected to make a full recovery.

Officer Blackwell has been working for the agency for 14 months at the Choice Moore Unit in Bonham. Senior Warden Tovi Butcher said, "We are all very proud of Officer Blackwell and are very thankful that the person involved in the accident survived because of his speedy response. He represented TDCJ well."

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