Raleigh carrier’s quick action stops deadly runaway

RALEIGH, NC — Runaways and rollaways are two of the most dangerous accidents anyone can have, and letter carriers are briefed on these dangers so much each month they have those safety talks virtually memorized. But when Raleigh-Hilburn City Letter Carrier Archie Simmons saw a 79-year old customer’s vehicle on the verge of a runaway, he put his experience and training to life-saving use.

One day recently, Raleigh postal customer Fran Carpenter stepped from her car to give Simmons some letters to mail, thinking she had put the gear in the “park” position. She was shocked upon exiting the car that the gear had not fully engaged. “As I was exiting the door, my car started pulling forward,” Carpenter wrote in a letter to Postmaster Howard Sample, “dragging me with it as I unsuccessfully tried to get back in and stop the vehicle. Mr. Simmons saw my dilemma and came running from across the street.”

According to Carpenter, Simmons shouted to her to let go so that he could get in the car to stop it. As Carpenter rolled into the street, Simmons jumped in to stop the vehicle before it crashed into anything else, then went back to assist Carpenter, ensuring she was safe. “His quick actions saved my car and prevented me from serious injury,” wrote Carpenter. “I wanted to make sure you knew of his brave and selfless actions and commended him properly in an official manner.”

Hilburn Station Manager Debra Wiggins-Wooten said of Simmons, “Whatever Archie does on the job, he does it to the very best of his ability each and every time. We are all very proud of his actions, but not surprised in the least. It is just another example of how much he cares about his customers, his job and his safety.”