On August 6, 2005, Firefighter David M. Loving of the Richmond Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services in Virginia was off-duty when he came upon the scene of a horrific traffic accident on Interstate 95. A motor home traveling at a high rate of speed had rear-ended an 18-wheeler parked on the right shoulder of the highway. As Firefighter Loving stopped to offer assistance, he was advised there were two people trapped inside the motor home. Unable to enter the motor home via the door, Firefighter Loving began to tear apart the vehicle by hand. Despite the motor home filling with smoke and Firefighter Loving not having any safety gear, he climbed inside the vehicle and made his way to the conscious victim. Fighting smoke, he was able to untangle the victim from debris and pull him to safety, and within minutes the motor home was totally engulfed in flames. Witnesses stated that the victim would have died prior to the arrival of the first responding emergency unit without Firefighter Loving's assistance.
Date Published: September 9, 2020