Hero Truck Driver Takes Burning Truck To A Remote Area Before It Explodes, Killing Him
A commercial truck carrying chemicals used as fertilizer exploded Wednesday on a highway in Arkansas, killing its driver. And while authorities are still investigating the situation, people are already calling the man a hero. At the time of his death, 63-year-old Randall McDougal was trying to extinguish the flame after refusing to abandon the vehicle and taking it away from populated areas.
Image credits: BamBam The Trucker
Image credits: twitter.com
According to Arkansas State Police, the remains of Mr McDougal of El Dorado were recovered from the site along U.S. Highway 278 west of Camden, east of the Nevada – Ouachita county line near Arkansas Highway 57.
Image credits: ProMed Ambulance
Image credits: ProMed Ambulance
Reportedly, Mr McDougal was transporting ammonium nitrate when his brakes caught on fire. He noticed the fire and called 911. He then proceeded to take the vehicle to a remote area and parked it where there were no houses or buildings. But even then Mr McDougal wouldn’t give up. While first responders were evacuating houses, he was trying to put out the fire. However, the tanker exploded, blowing a 15-foot (4.5-meter) crater in the road and killing him on site.
Image credits: twitter.com
Image credits: ErikaFerrandoTV
A one-mile perimeter has been set and areas near Highway 278 and Highway 57 have been evacuated. “It looks like a bomb went off,” Camden Fire Chief Robert Medford told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “There’s a big hole in the ground on where the truck was at.”
Image credits: ErikaFerrandoTV
Image credits: Unknown
Another driver who’s known online as Bam Bam the trucker shared the story and it has already received over 48k reactions and shares. People are sending their prayers to the family, calling Mr McDougal a hero for putting his life before others.
Image credits: ErikaFerrandoTV
The Arkansas Department of Transportation said crews would begin repairing the crater once the wreckage from the accident was cleared. The affected road is a low-volume road that carries about 1,300 vehicles per day, department spokesman Danny Straessle said.
Image credits: ErikaFerrandoTV
According to Melody Daniel, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, officials haven’t yet determined what caused the truck to catch fire. Also, three injured firefighters were brought to the hospital for their injuries, and two were later released, she said.
Camden Fire Department Assistant Chief Ron Nash said the force of the blast tore the tops of the surrounding pine trees and shattered the windshield of a fire truck and a Camden Fairview School District bus.
Here’s video from the Ouachita Electric Cooperative of the scene down in Camden. The Department of Emergency Management has confirmed one has died from the explosion. @KATVNews #ARNews pic.twitter.com/W8zspbj8Nj
— Nick Popham (@KATVPopham) March 27, 2019
Image credits: ScottofLR
Image credits: AlwaysLake
People were incredibly moved by Mr McDougal’s heroic actions
RIP Randall McDougal. You we're a very brave, selfless man. You are a true hero.
In most cases I'd say truckers are sorta like ship captains. Thier cargo and truck are important, but more so is the lives of others. They'll go down with it, if it means saving lives. We had something like that where I live. Trucker on the freeway got cut off and lost control. Instead of possibly causing a huge accident and killing people he ran himself into the side wall. He lived, and saved lives. I have A LOT of respect for them. RIP Mr. McDougal. You were a hero that day.
I don’t understand though. What was he actually doing with the truck? Was he trying to shut off something or stop the chemicals from flowing. He must have know he wasn’t finna make it. Just amazing bravery.
Load More Replies...Ummm so am I the only one who thinks he's a hero for taking the truck to a secluded area but an idiot for hanging around trying to put it out?? Just park it and run dude.
I've been scrolling way too far down for that, was just about to start writing myself. Why, ffs, would you try to extinguish it, with little to zero chance? I mean, one fire extinguisher against burning-hot brakes on an 18-wheeler with explosive cargo? That's like trying to p**s out a burning house.
Load More Replies..." blowing a 15-foot (4.5-meter) crater" A true HERO! my prayers to his family.
The man yall are calling a hero is my father thank each and everyone for there kind words my dad always put everyone before him im so proud of him yall just seen a small part of the hero ive known all my life
You must be devastated. I am truly sorry for your loss.
Load More Replies...The world lost a true hero. I hope his family is proud of him, I send thoughts & prayers out to them in this sad time.
Brave guy - but there should be some better regulation regarding transporting that stuff. Mobile bomb.. Why didn't he get away from it once it was away from populated areas? there should be more safeguards to prevent a fire in the cab's engine spreading to the cargo.
How? You do know that every car is a mobile bomb? Everything that saves energy can release this energy fast. And the reaction time is the main difference between a fire and an explosion. A lot of things can explode. Just don't cut off the next truck you see ;) Oh, and may he just wanted to save his truck. May he didn't realize how hot his cargo bay already was. Break fires can start pretty small.
Load More Replies...Very moving story, but shouln’t it be “putting others’ lives before his own” rather than “putting his life before others?”
This dude deserves heaven times quinquasexagintillion(1 followed by 200 zeroes)
RIP Randall McDougal, you were such a brave and selfless soul. You are a true hero, we all love you!
Wholesome 100%. An act like thus is giving me faith in the world once again. RIP, brave one.
It's hazmat procedure to pull off the road as far as possible away from people roadways etc. the story I read in trucking news didn't even mention that tidbit of information, although I did wonder why he returned to his truck, and he was the one attempting to put out the fire while firefighters were evacuating the people. Seems those jobs should be reversed. All in all it's a sad story. I'm also wondering why his brakes caught fire? Was this near the ozarks? Most of Arkansas is relatively flat, aside from the mountains. RIP driver
Ammonium nitrate has been linked to many major explosions with tremendous damage and loss of life. Why is it being carried around so casually?
Wow!! Hero is a word that is just thrown around, but this self sacrificing man is the true definition. God Bless you, and thank you for what you did Mr McDougal.
A hero, no doubt about that but why did he stay wirh the truck that long depending on where it exploded. 😥
i want to share my testimony of how i become rich and famous today… i was deeply strangled up by poverty and i had no body to help me, and also i search for help from different corners but to no avail… i see people around me getting rich but to me i was so ashamed of my self so i met a man on my way he was very rich and he was a doctor so he told me something and i think over it though out the day so the next day i looked up and i keep repeating what he said to me.”if you want to get rich quick and be famous” you need to cross your heart and do what is in your mind so i tried all i could in other for me to do as he said so later on i told my fellow friend about this same thing then my friend was interested in my suggestions so i decided to look in the internet and i found their number so we decided to contact them and unfortunately we did as they instruct us to do and later they told us to get some requirements and all the rest…so this initiation took us just a week and later on the gr
This is so sad. I commend him for trying to get the truck away from traffic and houses, but I really wish he had gotten away from the truck after he drove it to a safe distance. He still would have been a hero. We need more people like him in the world, and now he's gone.
I don't usually share news with my daughter seeing that she is only 6 years old but today I took the time to tell her this story. I explained to her that the man could have just walked away from the truck and saved his life and just try to evacuate people. The fact that he stayed in the truck and drove away from people it's unbelievable. I didn't believe heroes like that still exist in the world...only in movies and such. My daughter asked me if he was a superhero. "Yes, honey" I said "A real one. A real, real superhero!!!" And I meant every word.
A hero. Warm thoughts to his family though, him being a hero is bittersweet to them :(
Who writes this stuff? "...calling Mr McDougal a hero for putting his life before others." He put others' lives before his own.
Anyone else a little concerned he was carrying chemicals used as fertilizer and the truck blew up a crater like hole? We eat this stuff...
All I can say his wow. This man is a hero...god bless Love and prayers to his family 🙏🧡
RIP SIR Thank you and our prayers and condolences to your loved ones. If this is not a hero, then please show me one..... I wonder if any of us could do this knowing full well at any moment we could die RIP Pax+
Was it his own rig? I can see him trying to put it out if it was. Me, I'm a coward. I would have parked it and run as far as I could. That stuff is like carrying dynamite. Poor man, RIP.
This man, is a true hero. Running to the danger, or with it in his case, and saved so many lives! God Bless his family and May he be an example to us all.
Rest in peace Mr Randall McDougal, you put others before yourself.
Sadly such a thing won't be well spread for the extreme lack of drama or political b******t. More disappointing is I bet this won't (even if it was spread well) be remembered for long... however if he drove into into the most populated area close by he would be remembered for decades but that's just how minds remember s**t bad over good
This guy at least deserves a statue of honor where the crater is being filled in at the explosion site!, he's a true hero!
We need more people like him. May God grant his family the strength to persevere after their bereavement and may He grant his soul eternal rest. RIP.
Oh. Havent seen that meme yet... F to you Mr. McDougall. That man deserves to be in heaven.
Load More Replies...RIP Randall McDougal. You we're a very brave, selfless man. You are a true hero.
In most cases I'd say truckers are sorta like ship captains. Thier cargo and truck are important, but more so is the lives of others. They'll go down with it, if it means saving lives. We had something like that where I live. Trucker on the freeway got cut off and lost control. Instead of possibly causing a huge accident and killing people he ran himself into the side wall. He lived, and saved lives. I have A LOT of respect for them. RIP Mr. McDougal. You were a hero that day.
I don’t understand though. What was he actually doing with the truck? Was he trying to shut off something or stop the chemicals from flowing. He must have know he wasn’t finna make it. Just amazing bravery.
Load More Replies...Ummm so am I the only one who thinks he's a hero for taking the truck to a secluded area but an idiot for hanging around trying to put it out?? Just park it and run dude.
I've been scrolling way too far down for that, was just about to start writing myself. Why, ffs, would you try to extinguish it, with little to zero chance? I mean, one fire extinguisher against burning-hot brakes on an 18-wheeler with explosive cargo? That's like trying to p**s out a burning house.
Load More Replies..." blowing a 15-foot (4.5-meter) crater" A true HERO! my prayers to his family.
The man yall are calling a hero is my father thank each and everyone for there kind words my dad always put everyone before him im so proud of him yall just seen a small part of the hero ive known all my life
You must be devastated. I am truly sorry for your loss.
Load More Replies...The world lost a true hero. I hope his family is proud of him, I send thoughts & prayers out to them in this sad time.
Brave guy - but there should be some better regulation regarding transporting that stuff. Mobile bomb.. Why didn't he get away from it once it was away from populated areas? there should be more safeguards to prevent a fire in the cab's engine spreading to the cargo.
How? You do know that every car is a mobile bomb? Everything that saves energy can release this energy fast. And the reaction time is the main difference between a fire and an explosion. A lot of things can explode. Just don't cut off the next truck you see ;) Oh, and may he just wanted to save his truck. May he didn't realize how hot his cargo bay already was. Break fires can start pretty small.
Load More Replies...Very moving story, but shouln’t it be “putting others’ lives before his own” rather than “putting his life before others?”
This dude deserves heaven times quinquasexagintillion(1 followed by 200 zeroes)
RIP Randall McDougal, you were such a brave and selfless soul. You are a true hero, we all love you!
Wholesome 100%. An act like thus is giving me faith in the world once again. RIP, brave one.
It's hazmat procedure to pull off the road as far as possible away from people roadways etc. the story I read in trucking news didn't even mention that tidbit of information, although I did wonder why he returned to his truck, and he was the one attempting to put out the fire while firefighters were evacuating the people. Seems those jobs should be reversed. All in all it's a sad story. I'm also wondering why his brakes caught fire? Was this near the ozarks? Most of Arkansas is relatively flat, aside from the mountains. RIP driver
Ammonium nitrate has been linked to many major explosions with tremendous damage and loss of life. Why is it being carried around so casually?
Wow!! Hero is a word that is just thrown around, but this self sacrificing man is the true definition. God Bless you, and thank you for what you did Mr McDougal.
A hero, no doubt about that but why did he stay wirh the truck that long depending on where it exploded. 😥
i want to share my testimony of how i become rich and famous today… i was deeply strangled up by poverty and i had no body to help me, and also i search for help from different corners but to no avail… i see people around me getting rich but to me i was so ashamed of my self so i met a man on my way he was very rich and he was a doctor so he told me something and i think over it though out the day so the next day i looked up and i keep repeating what he said to me.”if you want to get rich quick and be famous” you need to cross your heart and do what is in your mind so i tried all i could in other for me to do as he said so later on i told my fellow friend about this same thing then my friend was interested in my suggestions so i decided to look in the internet and i found their number so we decided to contact them and unfortunately we did as they instruct us to do and later they told us to get some requirements and all the rest…so this initiation took us just a week and later on the gr
This is so sad. I commend him for trying to get the truck away from traffic and houses, but I really wish he had gotten away from the truck after he drove it to a safe distance. He still would have been a hero. We need more people like him in the world, and now he's gone.
I don't usually share news with my daughter seeing that she is only 6 years old but today I took the time to tell her this story. I explained to her that the man could have just walked away from the truck and saved his life and just try to evacuate people. The fact that he stayed in the truck and drove away from people it's unbelievable. I didn't believe heroes like that still exist in the world...only in movies and such. My daughter asked me if he was a superhero. "Yes, honey" I said "A real one. A real, real superhero!!!" And I meant every word.
A hero. Warm thoughts to his family though, him being a hero is bittersweet to them :(
Who writes this stuff? "...calling Mr McDougal a hero for putting his life before others." He put others' lives before his own.
Anyone else a little concerned he was carrying chemicals used as fertilizer and the truck blew up a crater like hole? We eat this stuff...
All I can say his wow. This man is a hero...god bless Love and prayers to his family 🙏🧡
RIP SIR Thank you and our prayers and condolences to your loved ones. If this is not a hero, then please show me one..... I wonder if any of us could do this knowing full well at any moment we could die RIP Pax+
Was it his own rig? I can see him trying to put it out if it was. Me, I'm a coward. I would have parked it and run as far as I could. That stuff is like carrying dynamite. Poor man, RIP.
This man, is a true hero. Running to the danger, or with it in his case, and saved so many lives! God Bless his family and May he be an example to us all.
Rest in peace Mr Randall McDougal, you put others before yourself.
Sadly such a thing won't be well spread for the extreme lack of drama or political b******t. More disappointing is I bet this won't (even if it was spread well) be remembered for long... however if he drove into into the most populated area close by he would be remembered for decades but that's just how minds remember s**t bad over good
This guy at least deserves a statue of honor where the crater is being filled in at the explosion site!, he's a true hero!
We need more people like him. May God grant his family the strength to persevere after their bereavement and may He grant his soul eternal rest. RIP.
Oh. Havent seen that meme yet... F to you Mr. McDougall. That man deserves to be in heaven.
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