It wasn’t the end to his vacation that Richard Boeder expected.
Boeder, a 35-year Pacific Gas & Electric Company employee and senior gas compliance representative, was heading home on California State Route 58 with his wife, granddaughter and her friend, when a tractor-trailer ahead of them lost control, slamming into three cars.
Boeder’s wife, Cheryl, who was driving at the time, deftly avoided being struck and pulled onto the shoulder. That’s when Boeder and his family sprang into action.
A fire had already started to build in one of the cars near him, a black Cadillac, and the driver was bleeding from a head wound. There wasn’t much time. Boeder quickly pulled open the door, unlatched the seatbelt and walked the woman to the side of the road.
They’d barely gotten there when the fire completely engulfed the car.
Using training he’d received at PG&E and his car’s first aid kit, Boeder applied gauze and a compress bandage to the woman’s head wound. His granddaughter, Savannah, stayed with her while Boeder and Cheryl went to help the occupants of a Nissan: The husband had a head wound, and the wife had head, neck and back trauma and couldn’t move. Boeder disconnected the battery to keep a fire from starting, then stayed with the couple for over an hour until help arrived, providing comfort and helping to call family members.
Despite multiple hazards—fire, smoke, active traffic and possible bloodborne pathogens—Boeder had no trouble going to the strangers’ aid. “I didn’t even think about it; I just did it,” he said. “I didn’t even feel nervous, no hesitation. It was just instinct.”
His actions, while remarkable, are hardly surprising, according to his supervisor, Deniece Rivera. “Richard is a stand-up guy, always caring about our safety. He’s very helpful to his group. Even as he shared the story with the team, he was sharing it more like a learning opportunity, talking about the virtues of Smith driving and other tools that PG&E provides.”