POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Master Sgt. Logan Goldschmidt, a readiness SNCO with the 442d Force Support Squadron, came upon a two-vehicle crash while on his way home September 29, 2022, near Poplar Bluff, Mo.s
One of the vehicles, a gasoline tanker, had rolled over into the median between the east- and westbound lanes of U.S. Highway 60, after rear-ending the other vehicle – a Ford F350 towing a trailer with a skid-steer tractor.
When Goldschmidt arrived on the scene, he saw another motorist on top of the fuel tanker's cab, trying to pull the driver up and out of the passenger door. The driver, whom Goldschmidt estimated to weigh 300 pounds, could not climb out on his own, and crumpling of cab prevented extraction by breaking out the windshield.
"I'm thinking 'this thing is gonna blow up and kill all of us,' " Goldschmidt said. Despite the danger, he approached the vehicle, climbed on top, and helped the pull the driver free of the cab.
Together, Goldschmidt and the other good Samaritan helped the driver down from the cab and dragged him away from the fire and smoke.
"I don't think we could've done it if the guy was unconcious," he said.
During the rescue, all three men caught fire, but managed put themselves out without injury once they cleared the vehicle.
"You can't not help, if you can help," Goldschmidt said. "I felt very conflicted, because if I'd died, my wife would be pissed. But I couldn't not do anything."
The tanker driver was transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries. The F350 driver was treated on the scene.
"I don't know," said Goldschmidt, "it's just what you do. There was nobody else there to do it. I figured I was there for a reason."