Russian Heroes

Major Dmitry Shpak,
Nizhnevartovsk Disctrict Road Police

Three days ago 60+ schoolchildren, young dancers and musicians, with about 10 accompanying adults seated in two buses were coming back to Nizhnevartovsk from a concert devoted to closure of the Year of Culture in Russia. In Russia, bus columns with children are always accompanied by road police.

It was about 85 kilometres for them to drive, when a heavy truck with a full load of crushed stone driving in the opposite direction, lost control and appeared on their lane ahead.

Major Dmitry Shpak (a father of two), who drove the accompanying road police car, did not turn aside and hit the heavy truck so that it fell on its side and stopped.

Nobody suffered in the accident, except for the courageous major, whose chances were, frankly speaking, faint. Doctors say he was lucky to be lower than 180cm/6ft (taller people have no chances in such accidents, they say), so he survived, though got an open craniocerebral trauma, a split collarbone and broken ribs.

Site of collision. 

Now, after necessary surgery, he has regained consciousness and expects full recovery, though it will definitely take some time. He is also supposed to get a state award soon.

PS: Video report from Russian TV 1. Even if you do not understand the words, there are images that speak for themselves.