DCSO honors truck-driver heroes for life-saving actions after fiery crash

"People should know that there are people out there that will help you'

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Emotions ran high Saturday morning at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, as a pair of heroes were honored for their life-saving actions after a fiery crash east of Bend last year. 

Kurtis Goldsworthy and Ray Scheradella, two of the four men responsible for saving Timothy Dunn’s life, received life-saving awards.

Dunn’s daughter, Allison, also was there, in support. 

On June 10 of last year, a two-vehicle crash occurred on Highway 20E about 50 miles east of Bend.

Both vehicles were engulfed in flames, with the gas tanks set to blow at any moment.

Four truck drivers immediately stopped to help.

"I pulled up, and there were people in trouble that needed help,” Goldsworthy said Saturday. “There’s people that need help in a bad situation. I just jumped out and reacted."

Timothy Dunn was alive, but stuck in the driver's seat of his car.

Scherdaella, a Redmond resident, knew he had to act quickly. 

"So we figured -- 'Hey, we've got to get this man out of this pickup, because we're not going to stand back and watch this man burn to death in his car."

Scheradella, Goldsworthy and two other men, Larry Abbot and Kodi Dyer, put themselves in harm's way to pull Timothy Dunn out of the car through the window, saving his life.

"Everything caught on fire, including Mr. Dunn, in my arm,” Goldsworthy recalled. 

Sadly, the driver's son, Brian, as well as the other driver were killed in the crash. 

Sgt. Jayson Janes said all four of that day's heroes were submitted for life-saving awards through the Oregon State Sheriff's Association, Janes said.

Scheradella, Goldsworthy and Dunn's daughter traveled to Bend for presentation of the life-saving awards.

Allison Dunn said, "If they didn't save my dad, I honestly don't know what I would have done.

Scheradella said he hopes their acts inspire hope. 

"I believe people should know that there are people out there that will help you,” Scheradella said. 

“Myself, I'm not going to sit back and watch somebody die, I'm not going to do it."

Goldsworthy said their actions are just a representation of the good things people in this country can do.

"I don't know, I just -- I saw people in need, I stopped to help that was it. I wasn't thinking about anything down the road,” Goldsworthy said.

“That's America. You help your neighbors, you help your friends, you help strangers in need. That's all I did."