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Carnegie medal for heroism presented at City Council meeting

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Apopka City Council Preview

From the City of Apopka Public Information Office

The City of Apopka will present two honors Wednesday to an Orange City man who rescued a driver from a fiery truck crash in August 2016 on State Road 429 in Apopka.

Mayor Joe Kilsheimer will present Jason Allen Williams, 32, with a Carnegie Medal on behalf of the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. For more than a century, the Commission has recognized nearly 10,000 people across the United States and Canada who performed acts of heroism in civilian life. Carnegie also provides financial assistance for those disabled and the dependents of those killed helping others.

Apopka Fire Chief Chuck Carnesale will present Williams with an award from the Apopka Fire Department. The 2016 truck crash and rescue prompted Carnesale to seek measures to improve emergency rescue throughout Apopka to provide better and faster aid to highway vehicle crashes. The need for greater emergency resources is growing in Apopka with the coming of the Wekiva Parkway, now under construction in Northwest Orange County.

The presentations will take place at the Apopka City Council meeting beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Apopka City Hall, 120 E. Main St.

Jason Allen Williams rescued Michael J. Bridges from a burning vehicle in Apopka on Aug. 4, 2016. Bridges, 61, was the driver of a grapple truck that left the roadway, traveled about 200 feet until it hit a ditch, rolled onto the driver side and caught fire.

Williams, 32, a truck driver from Orange City, Fla., witnessed the accident and stopped to assist. He approached the front end of the vehicle, initially intending to break out the windshield, and heard screams coming from the passenger side. Despite flames burning at the front end and underside of the vehicle, Williams climbed on top the vehicle and opened the passenger door.

He extended his head and arms inside to pull Bridges out, yet he slipped and fell from the truck. Williams again climbed to the top of the truck and reached inside, grasped Bridges by his belt and pulled him out of the vehicle. Bridges rolled over Williams, and both men fell from the vehicle to the ground. A woman who responded assisted Williams in aiding Bridges to safety.

Flames grew to engulf the truck cab. Bridges required hospital treatment for his injuries, which included severe burns. Williams suffered minor burns, and he recovered.

Carnegie’s “hero fund,” is administered by a 21-member commission in Pittsburgh that is charged with honoring “heroes of civilization.” The Carnegie Medal is a bronze medallion three inches in diameter and featuring the profile of founder Andrew Carnegie.

Carnegie Hero Fund, City of Apopka

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