Their bravery and split-second ingenuity earned them the title of Goodyear North America Highway Heroes for 1999. The award was announced today at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky.

"Mr. Harvey and Mr. Miller put themselves in harm's way to rescue total strangers, and, in doing so, they demonstrated a resourcefulness under pressure that is truly awe-inspiring," said Mike Thomann, marketing director of Goodyear commercial tires. "These two men embody the spirit of the Goodyear Highway Hero program."

On June 22, Harvey and Miller, driving separate rigs, came across a fiery accident involving a Jeep and a sedan on Mountain Parkway. The quick-thinking men broke out the back window of the upside-down Jeep and used a knife to free the driver from his seatbelt. Then they used an air mattress in the back of the Jeep to drag the 275-pound driver to safety.

"I was scared it was going to blow up," said Harvey. "The whole time I was praying, 'Lord, help us.'"

The driver of the sedan was pinned inside the vehicle, and the fire from the Jeep spread dangerously close.

"The paint was melting on the car, it was so hot," recalled Miller.

As bystanders stood at a distance, fearing an explosion, Harvey and Miller attached a nylon strap between Harvey's truck and the car in an effort to pull it away from the burning Jeep. The first two attempts failed. On the third try, the strap held in place and Harvey pulled the car to safety.

Soon afterward, the blaze reached the Jeep's gas tank, creating a fireball that engulfed the area where the sedan had been located.

When rescue crews arrived, Miller, an experienced EMS technician, operated the "Jaws-of-Life" to free the driver.

Both drivers survived the accident.

Months after the incident, Harvey, who lives in Salt Lick, and Miller, of Irvine, still were surprised by how well they worked together that afternoon. Each seemed to know what the other one was thinking, and they quickly developed solutions for the various obstacles before them, they recalled.

Harvey, who drives for American Freightways Inc. of Lexington, and Miller, who at the time was driving for Kentucky Petroleum Supply of Winchester, were among 24 truck drivers from the United States and Canada who were chosen in December as state/provincial Highway Heroes. That group was pared down to six finalists in February.

A panel of judges, consisting of members of the truck and tire trade media, selected the 1999 Goodyear North America Highway Heroes from the list of finalists.

It is the fourth time in the 17-year history of the award that two drivers shared the trucking industry's highest honor for heroics.

In recognition of the honor, Harvey and Miller split a $20,000 savings bond. Each of the other finalists received a $5,000 savings bond. All of the finalists received a free trip to the Mid-America Trucking Show and, following the awards ceremony, a trip to Nashville.

The other finalists for the 1999 award were:

* Morris Holley of Baltimore, Md., and Ronald McKee of Middletown, N.J. In the early morning hours of April 9 on Interstate 95 in Virginia, Holley witnessed a vehicle slam into the rear of another vehicle, overturn and catch fire. He tried to extinguish the blaze himself, and, when his efforts failed, he radioed for other truck drivers to help. However, all of their extinguishers were unable to overcome the gasoline-fed inferno, and some bystanders, fearing an explosion, began to back away from the scene.

That's when McKee picked up a spent extinguisher, broke out the car's rear window and dragged the woman to safety. Literally within seconds of McKee's dramatic rescue, the car exploded. Holley, McKee and other drivers tended to the crash victim until rescue crews arrived, and the woman did survive her injuries.

Holley drives for Swift Transportation Inc. of Richmond, Va., and McKee drives for Arctic Express of Hilliard, Ohio.

* Jeffrey Wiles of Montpelier, Ohio. On September 29, Wiles noticed a van weaving erratically through morning traffic on Route 15 near Bryan, Ohio. He contacted police as he followed the van for 11/2 miles. At that point, the van veered off the road, struck a retaining wall and came to a stop on top of a gas main. The crash broke off the top of the gas main, and the vehicle was quickly engulfed in flames. (Unknown to Wiles at the time, a 20-pound propone tank and full 5-gallon gas container were in the back of the van.) Wiles and two other motorists tried unsuccessfully to extinguish the flames. Then they broke out the rear window of the van and pulled the driver to safety.

Only after the driver was freed did Wiles realize that he was a friend who had worked closely with Wiles on the local EMS team. The driver, a diabetic, had gone into insulin shock while driving. He survived the accident. Wiles drives for Bryan Truck Line in Montpelier.

* John McDonald of Memphis, Tenn. While picking up a load in Garwood, N.J., on Feb. 7 of last year, McDonald heard a commotion inside the building. A panicked worker approached McDonald and told him that a co-worker needed help inside. Barrels weighing several hundred pounds had fallen, and one of them landed on the worker's leg, severing it. Despite the fact that other barrels were stacked precariously nearby, McDonald applied a tourniquet to the victim's leg and consoled him until rescue crews arrived. Doctors were unable to reattach the man's leg, but he did survive.

At the time of the incident, McDonald was driving for M.S. Carriers Inc. in Memphis.

"We heard some incredible stories of bravery again this year, and I'm certain it was difficult for the judges to single out one act of heroism for this award," said Thomann. "Each one of these finalists is a credit to the trucking industry. We hope that by sharing their stories, we help the public gain a better understanding of the quality men and women who make a living by driving trucks."

Anyone interested in nominating a driver for the 2000 Goodyear North America Highway Hero Award can call the Highway Hero Hotline at 800-627-2118 or visit Goodyear's web site at www.goodyear.com for rules and a nomination form.