   
Good Samaritans
Two passers by rescue man from burning truck
By RACHEL PARKER DICKERSON
LOG CABIN STAFF WRITER
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 Two men on a hunting trip pulled an unconscious man from a burning truck near Vilonia on Sunday afternoon.
Vilonia Police Chief Brad McNew said Billy Kilgore, 50, of Little Rock, driver of a 1979 Chevrolet pickup, was northbound on Naylor Road when he ran off the road and hit a fence. He was unconscious in the driver's seat, and the vehicle caught on fire. The two men arrived on the scene and pulled the man to safety, after which police arrived and the fire department extinguished the fire, he said.
Conway residents Greg Hartman and a friend who declined to be identified said they were northbound on Naylor Road when they saw the smoking truck and the unconscious driver.
"We immediately saw it was a truck on fire," Hartman said. "We could see a person inside. We knew we needed to get the gentleman out. We were afraid the truck was going to blow up or the gentleman was going to burn up. I called 9-1-1, and they recommended that we try to get him out. She said if we could, safely, at all costs, to get him out. It took a little while, but we got him out and pulled him to a safe distance.
"In about two to three minutes, the truck literally burned to the ground. It was horrible. Within a couple of minutes of that happening, the police and rescue units arrived."
The friend added, "Needless to say, we didn't have any luck hunting, but it's probably a good thing we went."
He said the incident occurred about 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
McNew said Kilgore was charged with careless driving, having no proof of insurance, refusing to take a breath test and driving while intoxicated.
(Staff writer Rachel Parker Dickerson can be reached by e-mail at rachel.dickerson@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1277. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)
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