Firefighters, teen honored for saving driver from Richland train hit
Matthew TothNeptune Fire Company firefighters Kevin Kepley and Daulton Faust, along with Myerstown resident Rory Righter, were not expecting to leap into action the morning of Aug. 1. That was before a construction truck struck another vehicle and the railroad gate in Richland around 12:37 a.m.
After the collision, the truck then drifted onto the railroad tracks along East Main Street. Kepley, Faust and Righter quickly approached the truck to check on occupants, all while the railroad gates began to lower.
"Coming home and seeing a truck on the train tracks is always not a good sign," said Righter, an ELCO senior. "So coming and seeing a truck and trying to help out that person is just what I was trying to do."
The three men quickly found one occupant inside as the train horn could be heard in the distance. With a freight train quickly approaching the crossing, they acted fast and pulled the driver from the vehicle.
Then 16 seconds later, the truck was struck by a Norfolk Southern freight train. But because of Kepley, Faust and Righter's efforts, the occupant escaped uninjured.
"The scenario could have been a lot different if neither one of us was there," Kepley said.
That's why state and federal government leaders joined with the Richland Borough Council Tuesday, Aug. 25, to honor three local heroes who quickly sprang into action. Borough council President Kelly Bricker called Kepley, Faust and Righter's actions "extraordinary heroism" for saving a human life in the most dangerous of circumstances.
"I don't know how many young men or women would do what you did," she said to Righter during the presentation. "Thank you."
Borough council members also recognized members of the Neptune Fire Company and all those emergency personnel who assisted the incident. Several firemen investigated the crash along with Kepley and Faust when it first occurred Aug. 1, with 17 members in total on scene performing various tasks until clearing at 3:44 that morning, according to the department's Facebook page.
"I want to thank all of you for what you do and continue to do for our community," Bricker told members of the department at the presentation.
Kepley and Faust said the recognition from officials and the community was an "honor and a privilege," but it's just business as usual in their role working with the fire department.
"You see an incident, you respond to it, you help the person out the best way you can," Kepley said to the Lebanon Daily News.
State Sen. Chris Gebhard and Rep. Russ Diamond joined with local officials to recognize the actions of Kepley, Faust, and Righter, presenting each of them with legislative citations during the meeting. Madison Colaco, of U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser's office, also represented the three individuals with flags that flew over the U.S. Capitol.
Gebhard said during the presentation that there was nothing more impressive than to see someone put their own life at risk to save the life of someone they didn't know.
"That's an amazing feet, an amazing amount of courage and respect for your fellow members of this community," he said.
During the awards presentations, members of the Neptune Fire Company, including Kepley and Faust, left after being dispatched to a commercial fire call in Myerstown. Though their call was canceled a few minutes later, Diamond said their quick response showed the character of the Richland community.
"Off two of our heroes went to be heroes again," he said to the residents who remained. "That is the extraordinary spirit of the community we live in."
Local heroes' recognition
Kepley, Faust and Righter all told the Lebanon Daily News that they were "working on instinct" the night of the Aug. 1 accident. The blaring of the horn and seeing the gates come down made all three focus to get the individual out of the vehicle.
"I don't know who was helping me, but I was tunnel visioned," Kepley said. "I was just focused on getting the individual out of the truck before the train hit."
Faust said it "feels pretty crazy" to know 16 seconds later the train would strike that vehicle.
"To know that number, it felt like way less in the heat of the moment," he said.
Kepley has served with the Neptune Fire Company for more than eight years, and is currently president. Faust joined the department in 2022 as a junior firefighter.
"We don't really get recognized, so it's different but just another day," Faust said. "We'll still do the same exact thing we do now."
Righter is a former Boy Scout, with the rank of Life Scout, and is also a member of the FFA at ELCO High School.
"My parents taught me to always be a nice person, so I was just trying to do my due diligence and try to help out someone," he told reporters.
Norfolk Southern has confirmed the freight train crew was uninjured during the Aug. 1 accident. While officials confirmed the occupant of the vehicle was uninjured, they have not released their name or what initially caused the accident.
Kepley, Faust, and Righter said they have not heard from the occupant since Aug. 1.
Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at [email protected] or on X at @DAMattToth.