Hero Car Salesman Saves Man From Burning Truck

In Roseville, Minnesota, a semi truck caught fire and came to a stop on the shoulder of highway 35W. The large vehicle was in bad shape, bad enough to strike a mike post. That’s when car salesman Deno Yannarelli sprung into action. Deno was at work at Roseville Chrysler Dodge and Jeep just a few hundred feet from the highway and burning truck.

In his own words, Yannarelli said that he ran toward the truck and saw that the driver was OK, but that he ran back into the truck to grab a fire extinguisher. When the truck driver returned to his vehicle, it burst into flames. Yannarelli had already ran in the direction of the driver and burning vehicle and jumped the dealership fence. The truck driver was now in the midst of the flames and had burns on his body. Yannarelli jumped on the driver to smother the flames. A car salesman from a neighboring dealership helped Yannarelli carry the injured truck driver about 40 yards and set him in the bed of a pickup truck. The quick-thinking car salesman even took off his shirt and put it on the burned driver to help with his injuries while paramedics were en route. The truck driver was transported to the hospital and is in serious condition.

As for Yannarelli, he said that he did what anyone would do and that he didn’t work alone. Speaking to WCCO, Yannarelli said, “The guy helped me over there (referring to the other car salesman). Anybody would help. It was something that had to be done. We are just glad we could be there for him.”

There is little question that Yannarelli’s quick thinking helped save the truck driver’s life. He sprung into action almost immediately. Have you ever been able to help someone in a similar situation while working at a dealership?