WILMINGTON — Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt.Robert (Bob) Burd of the Wilmington Post was recently presented with a Certificate of Recognition for his life-saving actions of Oct. 7.
On Oct. 7 at approximately 6:18 a.m. Sgt.Robert L. Burd responded to a wrong-way driver on Interstate 71 in Greene County. Another officer had already located the wrong-way driver and narrowly avoided a head-on collision.
Burd entered Interstate 71 northbound near milepost 58 with his emergency lights activated and immediately began slowing down citizens behind him traveling northbound. He observed the wrong-way vehicle coming toward him in the passing lane and began flashing his spotlight at the vehicle in an attempt to signal the driver to stop.
As the vehicle approached, the driver accelerated and attempted to pass him on the left. Burd, knowing the danger and potential consequences of allowing the vehicle to pass him, steered into the path of the wrong-way vehicle and accelerated into it.
After the initial contact failed to disable the wrong-way vehicle, Burd turned around and initiated contact with the vehicle a second time, attempting to force it into the median. The wrong-way driver again accelerated and spun around the front of Sergeant Burd’s patrol vehicle. The driver tried to avoid Burd, drove across the median, and attempted to continue in the wrong direction.
Sgt. Burd crossed the median, got ahead of the vehicle, and attempted to cut it off. The vehicle accelerated and rammed into the front left of Burd’s patrol car, pushing it sideways. The vehicles became entangled and the vehicle was stopped from making any further progress.
As the suspect driver continued to attempt to accelerate, spinning and smoking his tires, Burd exited his patrol vehicle and pulled the driver from the vehicle. The elderly male suspect and Sgt. Burd were transported to the hospital for minor injuries.
“Sergeant Burd knowingly placed his physical well-being in jeopardy to protect other drivers and Troopers on Interstate 71,” stated the post’s nomination of Sgt. Burd for the award. “Due to his heroic actions, no other persons were injured.”
