Marshall County Sheriff’s Deputy Luke Rudd was awarded the Woodmen of the World Life Saver award today in Benton. Rudd was chosen for the honor after he pulled a man from a burning vehicle in June near Palma.
Rudd was working the scene of another accident on Highway 68 when a car driven by Samuel Overby, 30, of Benton, sped past. Rudd got in his own cruiser and pursued the driver; during the chase Overby’s car left the road, hit a ditch and rolled twice before it struck a tree.
Overby was trapped inside when the vehicle caught fire. Rudd broke out the back glass of the passenger car, climbed through the rear and cut Overby’s seatbelt, pulling him free from the wreckage as the fire spread into the car. Rudd suffered minor injuries in the incident.
Rudd is in his second full year with MCSD. He served as a 911 dispatcher prior to his work as a deputy sheriff.