The NFL Lineman Who Climbed Into a Burning Truck

On the evening of May 6, 2021, a train slammed into a semi-truck on East 400 North, near North 2300 East, in St. Anthony, Idaho. Former NFL defensive end Brandon Bair saw it from Highway 20, and within minutes he was reaching into the burning cab to pull the trapped driver out.

A Truck Pushed Down the Tracks

The crash happened at about 5:45 p.m. on a Thursday. The train struck the passenger side of the semi, which overturned onto its driver's side and was pushed roughly a quarter-mile along the tracks.

Fire burned at the front of the truck and the front of the train, and dark smoke poured out. The driver, Steven Jenson, 25, was pinned in his seat and could not free himself.

He Ran Toward It

Bair, then 36, had played defensive end at Oregon and for the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders. He called 911, then drove down the highway median toward the front of the train.

The train's conductors were climbing out as he arrived. They told him not to go near the truck.

Then he heard a voice from inside the cab.

The Only Way In

The only opening left was a small window at the back of the cab. Bair climbed in through the broken rear window, reaching in as far as his waist, and unbuckled Jenson's seat belt.

He pushed the steering wheel off the driver and grabbed him under the arms. Jenson pushed with his feet while Bair pulled him out through the window.

Bair helped Jenson off the tracks, and with help from another man moved him farther away as the fire grew.

Seconds Later

Within seconds of the two getting clear, the fire on the roof fell down inside the cab and everything in it went up in flames. A few minutes later, several large explosions followed. By Bair's own account the whole ordeal lasted less than three minutes.

Jenson was flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. He had burns to his legs and other injuries and was treated for about three weeks. Bair was not hurt.

The Carnegie Medal

The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, which honors people who risk their lives to save others, awarded Bair the Carnegie Medal for the rescue. He holds it today.