Shaffer
01-28-03, 07:35 AM
A Marine was on his way to Camp Pendleton when he saw an explosion ahead on the freeway. An 18-wheeler had blown a tire and ruptured its fuel tank.
Quick to react, Capt. Nico Marcolongo did not follow the herd of cars rushing by.
He stopped to help.
He saw fuel spilling from the tank onto the freeway.
In those first few minutes, he thought about the danger of fire and cars skidding.
"There was a potential hazard and people could be in trouble, so I thought I'd better stop and do something," Marcolongo said.
He pulled over and used the cover from his Mazda Miata to divert the fuel off the freeway.
Marcolongo helped put down scores of cones to keep traffic out of the danger area when Encinitas firefighters arrived at the Manchester Road exit of I-5.
"He did this on his own initiative and at his expense," Encinitas Fire Division Chief Tom Tufts said. Tufts was so impressed, he wrote a letter and called Marcolongo's commanding officer.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20030125-9999_m1m25tfcamp.html
Quick to react, Capt. Nico Marcolongo did not follow the herd of cars rushing by.
He stopped to help.
He saw fuel spilling from the tank onto the freeway.
In those first few minutes, he thought about the danger of fire and cars skidding.
"There was a potential hazard and people could be in trouble, so I thought I'd better stop and do something," Marcolongo said.
He pulled over and used the cover from his Mazda Miata to divert the fuel off the freeway.
Marcolongo helped put down scores of cones to keep traffic out of the danger area when Encinitas firefighters arrived at the Manchester Road exit of I-5.
"He did this on his own initiative and at his expense," Encinitas Fire Division Chief Tom Tufts said. Tufts was so impressed, he wrote a letter and called Marcolongo's commanding officer.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20030125-9999_m1m25tfcamp.html