Two Chattanooga Fire Department captains were awarded medals for saving the life of a driver who was trapped in a burning semi while they were off-duty.
Captain Justin McCommon and Captain Jason Moses received Life-Saving Medals for their heroic actions on February 19, 2024 that were caught on camera.
Both men were driving back from a business trip in Indianapolis when they got caught in traffic on I-65, just 30 minutes north of Louisville, Kentucky.
The men heard a loud crash behind them that involved several vehicles, including a tractor-trailer in which the driver was trapped.
McCommon and Moses saw the man waving for help as he was hanging out of the driver’s side window of the burning semi.
Video shows Captain McCommon climbing onto a pickup truck to help retired Chattanooga Police Officer Brian Bloomberg pull the driver from the semi, as Captain Moses used two extinguishers to keep the flames away during the rescue.
“God had us in the right place at the right time.”
The driver was saved from the truck, just minutes before the fire spread, and taken to a hospital.
“I had no doubt that you would do exactly what needed to be done in that instance, even when you were both off-duty,” Chattanooga Fire Chief Phil Hyman told both captains. “What you did was outstanding and I’m proud of you for your willingness to help others no matter where you are or what you’re doing. It speaks volumes about your character.”