Hero’s welcome for Nevada truck driver

Monday, Dec. 20, 1999 | 2:57 a.m.

Gene Cunningham of Fallon, Nev., was named Monday the winner of the 1999 Goodyear Highway Hero Award, issued annually by the Ohio-based tire company since 1983.

He and another truck driver dragged two passengers from the vehicle on Interstate 15 in Utah and tried to remove the driver, who was pinned underneath. The driver and one passenger died, but the second passenger survived.

"Too often, truck drivers are portrayed in negative fashion," said Mike Thomann, a marketing director for Goodyear. "Goodyear established this award to shine some light on the selfless acts performed by them and provide the public with a more accurate portrayal of truck drivers throughout the United States and Canada."

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