A quick reaction and perfect circumstances worked together to help save the life of 17-year-old Matthew Talerico when a garbage truck flipped over and went on top of his family’s minivan.
The citations, as presented recently by Bristol Township Fire Marshal Kevin Dippolito, went to members of the following organizations who had a role to play in the rescue of Matthew Talerico. The Newportville Fire Company, Edgely Fire Company, Levittown Fire Company #2, Third District Fire Company, the Bucks County Rescue Squad and the Bristol Township Fire Marshal’s office.
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According to Dippolito, the truck was unstable and the responders who responded were put into great danger by the nature of the accident. It took teamwork and coming together to “make it happen,” the fire marshal said.
After the citations were awarded, Matthew’s father made a heartfelt thank you speech thanking the first responders for saving his son’s life. “It looked bad, [but] everybody worked very well together,” he said.
Matthew’s father ensured that everyone who helped got their due; “Rob’s (Towing), did a great job helping us out.” Rob’s towing truck helped to remove the garbage truck from the crushed minivan.
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The gravity of the situation was not lost with the survivor Matthew Talerico.
“You have to do everything you can for yourself,” he noted. “Everything that could have gone right did in that situation.”
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“It’s just really funny to look back,” Talerico continued. “You want every day to mean something.”
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