TOP STORY: first on decorahnews.com: Five who responded to serious head-on car crash near Waukon will be honored by the American Red Cross

Walker Hovey of Decorah was heading back to Decorah on Highway 76 at Rossville on Sunday afternoon, August 26th, when he rounded a corner and watched two pickups crash head on into one another right in front of him.

The accident killed one of the drivers and injured all of the occupants of the other truck.  But it could have been even worse--if not for the actions of Hovey and four other people at the scene.

The American Red Cross has announced it will honor Hovey and four Waukon residents on March 19th by presenting them with an "Everyday Heroes Award" for their actions.

Last August's crash started the first truck on fire.  That put the occupants of the second truck, the Egan family of Waukon, at risk.  But the crash had crumpled the doors of the second truck so they wouldn't open.

Hovey grabbed some chains from the back of Egan's truck and hooked the chains onto a trailer behind the Egan's truck and then onto his own truck.  He pulled--and the trailer separated from the second truck and crashed into Hovey's truck.  Hovey then hitched the chains to the back of Egan's truck--and, with help from Justin Hager, Darryl Brink, Keith Schroeder and Janet Schroeder, all from Waukon, pulled Egan's truck 50 feet away from the burning first truck.

Walker says he couldn't just stand by while others were in danger.  "If this had been you, you would have wanted people to help."