A hero has been honored again.
Pennsylvania State Representative Keith Greiner presented truck driver Lamar Buckwalter with a Pennsylvania Citation Award because of his life-saving actions on a Colorado highway earlier this year.
“I am very honored to accept and receive this award,” Buckwalter posted. “In the words of Keith, too many times the good deeds of truck drivers are often overlooked. My skills and experience from the fire service were critical to this life save.”
On the night of April 3, 2026, Buckwalter was rolling through the Rockies on Route 34 near Kersey, Colorado. It was around midnight, and the weather was not too trucker-friendly.
“It was only me and one other truck on the road,” Buckwalter said. “Keep in mind: There’s a wind advisory for light high-profile vehicles. The other truck was a tanker, maybe four to five truck lengths in front of me.”
Buckwalter says he could feel the south wind hitting the side of his truck.
“I’m just cruising along, listening to my praise and worship music — and the next thing I see is the truck making a hard right,” he said. “My first thought was, ‘What is he doing? There isn’t an exit there.’ Then I saw the sparks, a pole flying in the air, a big cloud of dust — and that tanker was now lying on its side.”
Buckwalter slowed, stopping 500-600 feet past the scene.
“I don’t even think the truck was stopped completely when I set the brakes, and I was jumping out and running back,” he recalled.
Was it just a coincidence that put Buckwalter on that Colorado highway at the right time to help the driver of a rolled tanker? Buckwalter believes it was something more.
“All I could hear is the driver screaming, ‘Get me out of here! I’m hauling hazmat!’” he said. “I made contact with the driver. He stated he wasn’t pinned, he just couldn’t get out. That’s when it went south. He went unresponsive on me.”
The tanker driver was only blacked out for a few minutes, but he could not reach the ignition to kill the engine. Once Buckwalter got the driver out of his cab, the tanker driver said they should get back because the tanker, which was hauling pesticides, could explode.
Not long after that, police, fire and EMS arrived. Buckwalter sat in the ambulance with the other driver, letting him use his cellphone to call his boss and wife.
“From there, I moved to the front seat of a police cruiser to give my statement,” Buckwalter said. “The cop was very impressed with my quick response and willingness to jump in to help the driver with no regard to my own safety. As we walked back to my truck, I explained that I’m a proud volunteer firefighter and an EMT back home in Pennsylvania.”
Does Buckwalter think of himself as a hero? Not really. He believes it’s all part of a greater plan.
“I’m convinced God had me on that road for that reason — to be there for a fellow driver,” he said. “I pray for that driver, his family and his employer.”
“I have to give praise to God for watching over me that night and keeping me safe so I could do what needed done,” Buckwalter added.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
