RICHMOND, Ky.– First responders are often put in situations most people don’t encounter; there is always the possibility of them being forced into a split-second decision to save someone’s life or consider their own personal safety.
Blue Grass Army Depot security guard William O’Brien.
William O’Brien, a Blue Grass Army Depot security guard, was recently put into this situation.
Early on the morning on Jan. 20, O’Brien was assigned to the BGAD Truck Gate security post. A man driving a semi-trailer truck carrying more than 5-thousand gallons of fuel fell asleep at the wheel, ran a red light, hit a barbed wire fence, and crashed into a main natural gas line. The collision caused approximately 35 gallons of diesel fuel to leak from the truck onto the ground while natural gas spewed heavily into the air.
“We just heard a loud noise. I initially thought it was an airplane, but then we saw the semi and a natural gas geyser. The noise it made was deafening, and the winds pulled it, and within 2-3 seconds, we could smell and taste [the mercaptan odorant present in] the gas. I radioed in for fire, EMS, and police to be called to the scene. That’s when I noticed the driver wasn’t getting out of the truck.”
O’Brien, understanding the severity of the situation, immediately sprang into action. He ran to the cab, which was wrapped in the barbed wire fence. The driver was still inside the truck.
“I ran toward him, yelling to get out of the truck. I saw the door prop, and he said he couldn’t get out. I remember thinking we got to go. We got to get out of here.”
While inhaling the highly flammable fumes and eyeing the liquid pouring out of the truck, which later was identified as diesel fuel, O’Brien takes out his multi-tool and starts cutting the barbed wire. He forced the jammed door open and severed the safety belt holding the driver in.
“He must have been scared or in some state of shock. I had to tell him a couple of times to get out of the truck. I didn’t tell him why. I just told him we had to get out of there.”
A damaged civilian semi-trailer sits idle outside the Blue Grass Army Depot after its driver fell asleep, ran a red light, and crashed into a natural gas line. BGAD security guard William O’Brien raced to the crash site and extracted the injured driver while natural gas and diesel fuel were pouring out.
O’Brien and the driver ran back to the guard shack, where O’Brien’s partner Jake Miracle constantly communicated with the BGAD Desk Sergeant. Both security guards quickly assessed the man for medical issues, put him into a truck, and drove back to what they felt was a safe location.
“We further assessed him, obtained his ID, and checked him for weapons at the hill while waiting for the fire department. We were concerned that the fire department would need the gate open for easier access, so we radioed another security…
Read More: Security Guard Risks Himself to Bring a Stranger to Safety | Kentucky