William J. Walterscheid, 17, schoolboy, saved Paul M. Aikins, 40, barber, from being killed by a train, North Sacramento, California, June 18, 1959. At night Aikins started to walk over a railroad crossing and stopped between the rails of a track on which a freight train was approaching at a speed of 40 m.p.h. He stood dazed facing the oncoming train and made no move to get out of its path even when the engineer sounded the warning horn. William who was in an automobile at the side of the crossing, jumped from the vehicle and ran 75 feet, reaching the track when the locomotive was 120 feet from Aikins. Without pausing William ran into the path of the train, grasped Aikins around the torso with both arms, and continued across the track, pushing Aikins ahead of him. They barely cleared the train, which passed at undiminished speed. 44805-4323
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