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BERKELEY, NJ — Two members of the the Berkeley Township Department of Public Works were publicly honored recently for their actions that saved at least one life, and potentially even more.
For the work that they did on June 17, sanitation workers Patrick Rowley and Louis Velazquez were awarded with plaques at the latest Berkeley Township Council meeting.
According to Mayor John Bacchione, the two men were riding along in the garbage truck when Rowley noticed that the driver was slumped over the wheel, experiencing an unknown medical episode.
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“Without hesitation, Mr. Rowley sprang into action,” Bacchione said, activating the air break to bring the truck to a stop, “preventing a potential disaster.”
At the same time, Velazquez called 911, Bacchione said.
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When the truck was stopped and emergency services were on the way, both men worked to get the “fully unresponsive” driver out of the truck and into a shady area to rest, Bacchione said. They stayed with him until emergency services arrived to take over.
Their actions “not only saved the driver’s life, but also prevented harm to innocent bystanders who could have been in danger if the truck had not stopped in time,” Bacchione said.
Rowley and Velazquez were gifted framed proclamations to commemorate their actions.
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