Jeep driver who rescued semitruck in blizzard receives award

Pulling a semitruck out of a snowdrift with your family 4×4 might seem like a tall order, but that's exactly what Mark Blessed of St Austell in Cornwall, U.K., was able to do with his 20-year-old Jeep Wrangler when the region was hit by a rare blizzard earlier this winter.

Blessed was cheered on by passersby while rescuing a Mercedes-Benz Actros tractor with a shipping container on its trailer. The truck had become hopelessly mired in the snow and was blocking the road just as an ambulance with a patient on board was trying to get through.

With his Wrangler, he was able to pull the Mercedes tractor out of the snow drift — one of several vehicles he ended up rescuing that day.

For his good deed (and impressive feat), Blessed received a Local Heroes award from radio station Pirate FM, as well as gifts from Jeep including a new spare wheel cover.

"We were inundated with nominations for hundreds of very deserving people in Cornwall, but Mark really stood out as the epitome of a good neighbor," said Pirate FM event organizer Holly Day.

"When we heard about Mark’s generous actions and the fact that he was able to help clear the road of a 40-ton truck using his Wrangler, we were absolutely delighted," Andrew Tracey, marketing manager of Jeep U.K. said. "Mark fully deserves this recognition, and we were happy to send him some gifts with our good wishes."

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