Goodyear Tire & Rubber 2012 Highway Hero Award
November 5, 2012
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is currently accepting
nominations for their 2012 Highway Hero Award. Deadline for nominations is January 31, 2013. You can
go to http://www.goodeartrucktires.
Must reside in the United States or Canada
Have the incident happen within the United States or Canada
They must at the time of the incident be the driver of a vehicle of 12
wheels or more
Incident must have happened between November 16, 2011 and December 15,
2012
After January 31, 2013 the nominations will be closed and a list cut
to four finalists. At that time a panel of trucking industry judges will chose the winner.
The award is considered among one of the most prestigious in trucking
honors those truck drivers who put themselves in harm's way to help another person. This year's
winner will get $5,000 in cash, a custom ring and other prizes. Plus the person who nominates the
winner will also win $1,000 in cash. An annual nationwide search is conducted with nominations
accepted from the general public, trucking companies and law enforcement agencies for truckers who
have clearly gone above and beyond the call of duty in performing heroic rescues or outstanding acts
of humanitarianism. The program's goal is to inform the broadest possible public audience of the
heroic deeds performed by North America Highway Hero nominees, thereby improving the image of the
trucking industry and its drivers.
The 2011 winner of the Highway Hero award went to Mike Schiotis of
Spring Hill, TN. Schiotis, who works for Seville, Ohio-based Panther Expedited Services Inc., was
driving to his destination in Pennsylvania when he saw a woman walking with a man close behind her.
Thinking they were injured, he slowed down and noticed that the man was pointing a gun at the woman.
Schiotis stopped his truck and the woman began pounding on his door, screaming "Help me! He's going
to kill me!" Schiotis jumped out of his truck and positioned himself between the woman, who was
bleeding from the head, and her assailant. He helped the woman into his rig and decided to take her
to the next truck stop.
The gun-carrying man got back in his car and began to follow Schiotis'
truck. Schiotis pulled into a truck stop, but decided it was safer to continue down the highway.
Meanwhile, he notified the Pennsylvania State Highway Patrol, then used his CB radio to tell other
truckers in the area about what was transpiring. Another truck driver, who was behind Schiotis'
18-wheeler, heard him and took action, together, they drove side-by-side, weaving back and forth to
prevent the gunman from closing in on Schiotis' tractor. This gave troopers time to catch up with
the man and apprehend him.
This year's winner (2012) will be announced at the annual banquet of
the Truck Writers of North America that is held at the Mid America Trucking Show in Louisville, KY
March 21, 2013. This year will mark the 30th anniversary of this award.