ABF Freight System Inc. recently recognized the lifesaving actions of John Boyd by awarding him the ABF Medal of Excellence. An ABF road driver in Dayton, Ohio, Boyd became the sixth recipient of the award, which is the highest honor the company can present to an employee. Boyd was presented the award during a ceremony at the ABF General Office on Dec. 2.
“John Boyd is a hero and a role model for all of us,” says Wes Kemp, ABF president and chief executive officer. “The prompt, resourceful and responsible way he acted in the face of a crisis is most inspiring. John is a fine example of the caliber of people we have on the ABF team, and we’re very proud to recognize his actions with the ABF Medal of Excellence.”
The incident occurred in April when Boyd maneuvered his truck to shield an accident victim thrown from an overturned vehicle on Interstate 675 near Beavercreek, Ohio. Boyd called emergency services, maneuvered his truck to protect the victim from oncoming traffic and remained on the scene, providing aid until authorities arrived.
“He was lying on his back, next to the guardrail, on the pavement in the road,” Boyd says. “They [other motorists] would have run over the guy.” The accident victim, who later recovered, was a 27-year-old soldier home from Iraq and scheduled for deployment to Afghanistan.
