Act of heroism: Midway man receives Carnegie Medal for rescue
What began as a drive down the Pennsylvania Turnpike turned into an award-winning, life-saving moment.
Earlier this week, Sgt. David Duffey, a Canon-McMillan High School graduate from Midway, was one of 16 men and women throughout the U.S. and Canada to be awarded the Carnegie Medal for heroism.
“In the moment, the only thing on my mind was trying to help this guy. Even after I gave my statement to the cops, I almost didn’t tell anybody about it. I didn’t know how,” said Duffey, a member of the National Guard who is pursuing a master’s degree at Slippery Rock University, where he currently resides. “It felt like a normal day: I helped this guy out. He’s safe. I don’t know how to describe it. I felt like I did something that every other person should be doing.”
Only what Duffey did – climb into a burning vehicle – isn’t something many people would do. Which is why he was awarded the Carnegie Medal, the highest honor for civilian heroism in North America.
On Oct. 22, Duffey was driving back to Slippery Rock after a weekend drill training with the National Guard when the tractor-trailer ahead of him veered off the turnpike near Irwin.
“I thought it was turning off to rest. All of a sudden, it crashes right in front of me,” Duffey said. “I remember just about everything; it’s not something you forget.”
Duffey said the right side of the semi struck an overpass support beam. He pulled off the road and rushed to the vehicle to check on the driver.
“When I first got there, I couldn’t even recognize the cab. It looked like mangled metal to me,” Duffey said. “The cab had been thrown off, it actually flipped around 180 degrees so the front (was) facing the trailer itself. I just remember seeing a line of fire going on the other side of the trailer. I start calling out for the driver, I’m just trying to find him.”
The driver – later identified as Shune Moore – was alert, but trapped by his seat belt. While Moore struggled to free himself, Duffey tried opening the passenger side door, which was nearest the roadway, without success. He said fuel had spilled onto the road.
“I knew I had to get him out of there,” Duffey said.
Moore was able to unfasten his seatbelt and Duffey, still not able to open the passenger side door, climbed through its broken window. He dragged the driver from his seat across the cab, through the passenger window and, with the help of another good Samaritan, out of the vehicle.
Just as Duffey and the good Samaritan pulled Moore away from the cab, there was an explosion.
Amy Romig of Tallmadge, Ohio, had been filming fall foliage along the turnpike and caught the entire episode, including the explosion, on her cellphone camera.
“It literally sent David and the other guy who was running to help to the ground. Even the truck driver kind of rolled away from that explosion. It was pretty shocking,” Romig said.
A second explosion followed; by then, the driver and those assisting with the rescue were far enough away to be safe. Duffey joked that he went into sergeant mode, directing others and checking to make sure Moore did not have life-threatening injuries.
First responders arrived and took over. Duffey gave his statement and then jumped in the car to head home.
“I was shaking the entire drive home,” he said. “I was definitely in shock. I had a good hour-and-a-half drive to get back. I did nothing but literally thank God for that whole hour-and-a-half.”
About a month after the rescue, Duffey learned he had been nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Last week, he received a call saying he had been awarded the medal for heroism.
“I was happy. I felt blessed. It just put me in a really good mood. From everything I’ve read on it and other stories of other Carnegie heroes, it’s an honor, it’s a blessing, for sure,” Duffey said.
Andrew Carnegie founded the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission in 1904 to recognize and support the everyday people who risk their lives for others. Four times each year, U.S. and Canadian citizens are awarded the medal, and they or their survivors become eligible for one-time grants, scholarships, death benefits and continuing assistance.
Since its inception, more than 10,000 nominees have been honored with a Carnegie Medal – and Romig was delighted to learn that Duffey is among those heroes recognized for his actions.
“I am absolutely thrilled,” Romig said, adding she gave a witness statement as part of the nomination process. “It was crazy. We still talk about it because, just the experience of it and seeing the explosion… The right guy was there at the exact moment. That kid pulled that guy, that was probably two-and-a-half, three times his size, out through the passenger side of the vehicle. He had to exert a lot of energy to pull him out. I can’t imagine most people would just climb into a truck that was on fire and pull someone out of it. He was trained and jumped into action. We knew we just witnessed something amazing.”
Duffey, who is one of 16 Carnegie Medal recipients who live or lived within a 10-mile radius of Midway, is humbled by the attention his act of heroism has received.
“The whole thing, in my eyes, is a miracle. Right place, right time – I’ve seen a lot of Carnegie heroes mention that in their stories. Everything had to play out so perfectly that day for him and me to be OK, for me to be there in the first place,” Duffey said. “I’m just blessed to be the person God used to help that guy out.”