This is a true story about a former friend and roommate who saved a families’ life and risked his own life to do so.
A strong, well-groomed gentleman named, “Bob Glath” was a truck driver for Sunoco, an oil company located in South Plainfield, New Jersey. He rented a room in my four bedroom house from 1972 to about 1974. He was a truly wonderful man and always paid his rent on time, every time.
Bob would arise early most everyday and go to work at his job only a few minutes away.
One day, he went to his workplace and picked up his huge HAZMAT Truck holding about 10,000 gallons of fuel and this tanker weighed about 80,000 pounds. Obviously a great responsibility!
Driving from South Plainfield to South Jersey, a truck this size must go up and then down the Route #1 #9 Bridge. This is probably one of the most dangerous trips Bob had to make during his 10 + year career. He probably didn’t even think about it since he did this one so many times.
Bob finally moved out and bought or rented a local place of his own and I lost track of him. I found out about his episode through friends who kept in touch with him.
On this particular trip in 1975 or thereabouts, Bob’s air brakes must’ve overheated and, as a result, his vehicle hit speeds which wouldn’t allow him to stop before hitting a families’ car, killing all who were driving in that vehicle which was just in front of his tanker truck.
Bob made a life-saving decision for that family. In an instant, Bob decided to move to the right side of the three-lane highway which was slanted and and he must’ve known this would surely put his own life in jeopardy.
Bob did exactly what a hero would do and when his truck rolled over, it caught fire and bob was thankfully dragged out by police and the rescue squad. Bob ended up with major burns and cuts but survived this horrible catastrophe!
And after this happened, somehow I lost touch with him. Bob Glath please hear me, wherever you are!