Heroism in massive Indianapolis tanker explosion

Anyone who lives in or regularly travels through Indianapolis knows the importance of the junction of interstates 465 and 69.

If you live in the northern suburbs, it’s a critical area for getting downtown or getting around the city. Even if you’re not familiar with the area, think of the some of the busiest “spaghetti bowl” intersections near where you live and that describes the area.

This morning a propane tanker rolled off a ramp and struck bridge support beams. This afternoon the bridge is being checked by engineers for continued viability. Major portions of area interstates have been shut down.

The crash produced a massive explosion once the combustible fuel inside the truck exploded.

Two men working at a nearby apartment complex, along with other drivers on the scene, have been credited with pulling the driver to safety before the explosion took place.

Without a doubt, the heroism of the firefighters and other first responders can never be discounted in these situations. But the actions of the two men – Lonnie Hood and Eric Brokamp – and others who helped on the scene brings up a poignant question for any of us who has ever sat behind the wheel of a car. If confronted by a similar situation, how would we react?

We would all like to say that no matter what we would potentially throw caution to the wind to save a life. The truth of the matter is that most of us can’t realistically predict how we would react in such a situation 100 percent of the time regardless of our best intentions.

Predictably, analogies to the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) have been made in this case. While that biblical reference may be overused from time to time, it is an important reminder of how our instincts and faith might cross paths when we least expect it.

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