Highway Heroes

Heroes of the Highway

In two separate incidents, three Stevens Transport drivers responded to life-saving calls that they are being remembered for as heroes and good Samaritans.

On the evening of August 23, Royford Burris was traveling on U.S. Highway 63 in Arkansas, one day ahead of his delivery on a load to Orlando, Florida. He was focusing on a winding mountain descent when two cars ahead were ablaze and minutes from being fully engulfed in flames. Stevens Driver - Royford Burris

“I had communicated with my wife earlier in the day and told her that things were going well and the road was so calm,” Royford recalled. “Once I saw the cars, I knew that it was my duty to help in any way I could.”

Royford pulled his truck off to the side of the road and, with assistance from another motorist, extinguished the fire. While he was able to free the occupants of one of the cars, a mother and her three children needed to be extricated by law enforcement from the other.

“I had to break windows and doors in order to get them out,” Royford said. “It was a scary scene but was very thankful for the support and assistance I received from the multiple police officers to help rescue them from their car. I made sure to stay at the scene until everything was clear, and continued on my way to deliver my load.”

After driving about one mile down the road, two police cars pulled Royford’s truck over to the side of the road. The police stepped out of their car, profusely thanking him for his heroic actions. Exactly one week later, Demetrice Reeves and his trainee Justin Ferreira were traveling to Hammond, LA for a repower load taking them to Punta Gorda, FL. A weaving car traveling at speeds greater than 85 miles per hour cut the team off before hitting the rear tandems of another vehicle and then a tree-lined shoulder, causing the car to become airborne. The out of control car then flipped and landed in a ravine.

“Once I saw the car in my mirror, I felt that something bad was about to happen,” Demetrice said. “I immediately started slowing down, and when I saw everything unfold, I knew that I had to help in any way that I could.”

Demetrice and Justin safely pulled over to the shoulder and ran to the car, forcefully opening the driver’s door to pull her out. Demetrice carried the young woman over his shoulder until reaching the top of the road, where the team noticed she was in shock.

“I had heard many stories about situations like this one during my training, but never expected to experience it on the road,” Justin said. “I was glad that I was well-prepared to assist in any way I could in this situation.”

Yolanda Bryant, the mother of the female passenger, expressed her deepest gratitude for the drivers because, without them, her daughter would not have made it out of the accident.

“These good-hearted men showed great character and I’m very appreciative of all of the assistance that they provided for my daughter. We are forever indebted to them, and are grateful for the amazing training that they received from Stevens.”

Written by: Sidney Mireles