LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — A trooper from the Lima Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is being recognized for his heroic actions that saved a man trapped in a burning truck.
Trooper Grant Baumle responded to a crash on August 12 at Reservoir and McClure Roads, where he found James Hilty of Ada pinned inside the cab of a burning box truck that had struck a barn. Without hesitation or concern for his own safety, Baumle acted quickly to rescue the driver.
“I got into the back of the box truck where the driver was pinned, and he was screaming,” Baumle said. “His legs were on fire at that time, so I used some fire extinguishers and extinguished the fire.”
For his bravery, Baumle received the Ohio State Highway Patrol Distinguished Service Medallion.
Lt. Colonel Charles J. Linek III of the Ohio State Highway Patrol praised Baumle’s courage and selflessness: “This is one instance where you can certainly count the life that he saved by going in the back of the box truck and extinguishing that fire with not only one, but two fire extinguishers without regard for his own safety,” Linek said. “So just very proud of him.”
Linek also noted that Baumle recently saved another man’s life by administering Narcan and performing CPR until medics arrived on the scene. It has been quite a start to a promising career for Baumle, who has been a state trooper for less than a year since graduating from the academy. In addition to his service with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Baumle is also a second lieutenant in the Army National Guard.
