Community service

Letter carrier saves man trapped in burning car

Tesfaye Deyasso was driving home from work in St. Louis Park, Minn., on April 18 around 6:30 p.m. when he witnessed a man driving off the highway and into a barrier. As the car smashed into a pole, it burst into flames.

“Everything happened within, like, a second,” said Deyasso, a four-year letter carrier with Minneapolis Branch 9. Deyasso pulled over and ran up to the car. Seeing that the driver was unconscious, Deyasso attempted to open the door, but it was locked.

Deyasso alerted the driver until he regained consciousness, and with the help of some good Samaritans, they got the door open.

“We tried our best to open the door, but it was only six inches from the barrier, so we couldn’t pull him out,” Deyasso said.

Deyasso told everyone to find something to break the window. One person tried using a large piece of plastic, but it didn’t work. Finally, a highway assistance worker arrived with a device that opened the window. The group hoisted the driver out of the car and to safety.

The rest of the car, including the seat where the driver had been sitting, exploded in flames. “I think maybe 20 seconds later, the whole car just burned,” Deyasso said.

As smoke filled the air, Deyasso left after seeing the driver was in good hands. For the next six hours, he struggled to breathe and wheezed due to smoke inhalation. He recalled calling a doctor, who instructed him on how to slow his breathing.

The smoke was so intense that one of the Samaritans had to go to the hospital with the driver due to smoke inhalation. The driver is recovering well, with only minor injuries. A local news outlet aired footage from a Tesla that captured the incident.

“A lot of people think that we only deliver mail and packages, but I would like to let them know we can also save a life,” Deyasso said. “We can help people.”

Letter carrier helps man being stabbed

Brian Meyers Sr., a 15-year letter carrier, was delivering mail on Aug. 13 when he heard a man screaming for help. The Johnstown, Pa., Branch 451 carrier saw two men wrestling in the side yard of a house on his route. One man appeared to be stabbing the other.

“I didn’t think about anything. I just went up and took the guy [attacker] down. That’s all I thought of doing,” Meyers said. Meyers' quick action ended the attack.
“I just grabbed his arm, threw him straight to the ground, jumped on him, and held him there,” Meyers said. He subdued the man until the police arrived.

“I had the situation under control,” Meyers said. Once officers arrived, Meyers answered their questions, and the victim was taken to the hospital. The suspect was later charged with felony aggravated assault. Meyers talked to the victim after he returned from the hospital and learned the man had two large gashes on his stomach, but the knife had just missed his spleen.

Carrier frees girl being dragged by dog

On April 11, Mid-Michigan Branch 256 letter carrier Rungphet Bodnar was driving on her route when she noticed children at a bus stop running and screaming. Then she noticed a dog dragging a little girl across a lawn by her leg.

A woman was trying to grab the child, but the dog kept ripping the girl from the woman's grip. Bodnar stopped her postal vehicle and sprang into action. She used her dog spray, applying it several times. After a few minutes, the two women were able to pry the dog off and free the girl.

The girl was rushed to the hospital, where she underwent multiple surgeries for her wounds. She was able to return to school a month later.

Carrier overcomes PTSD to help distressed customer

On March 29, Topeka, Kan., Branch 10 letter carrier Gerald “Jerry” Loney had just finished delivering mail to apartments on his route and returned to his mail truck when a young man approached him. The man was bloody and had just attempted suicide. Loney recognized him as a 33-year-old customer on his route.

The carrier immediately began to care for the young man and dialed 911 at the same time. The 911 operator talked Loney through the process of finding something to use as a tourniquet and how to apply it to both wrists. Loney kept talking to and praying over the man until police, paramedics, and firefighters arrived.

The police officer who took a statement from Loney later told him they were grateful for his actions, noting that most people would have just driven by.
Loney, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder due to a personal incident five years ago, pushed through his own trauma to save the young man's life. In part because of Loney's quick and selfless actions, the man survived.

Lifting his community with gifts and art

Matthew Ross Sr. always looks for ways to help his community. As a letter carrier, he is often the first to notice when people are in need. As an artist, he helps his community see the world in new ways.

Contributing to the community has long been a commitment for the Syracuse, N.Y., Branch 134 member. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he helped raise funds for a local community center on his former route in Westcott, N.Y., to purchase a new van to transport seniors.

Last year, while delivering mail, he noticed that some report cards from a local middle school were being sent to a hotel. Concerned about the area’s child poverty, Ross checked in with the school counselor to see what he could do.

“I told them that if they needed me to help out somewhere, to let me know,” Ross said. The counselor suggested several students who might benefit from holiday help and reached out to the parents, giving them Ross’s phone number.

Ross, who has been a carrier for seven years, raised funds from the community to buy gifts for three local middle-school students. He provided items such as Christmas trees, toys, video games, winter clothes, and craft supplies—along with his own art, a newfound hobby.

Walking around the city every day, Ross finds it very depressing. “I walk through a lot of trash and filth and garbage,” he said. “I try to let people know that art’s a way of escaping from what you’re dealing with at a certain time, and that can alleviate some stress.”

Ross believes other carriers can make a difference in their routes as well.

“Chances are, they already know with their gut intuition who actually needs the help. They just need to follow through on that and use their own creativity. It doesn’t have to be elaborate,” he added. “As letter carriers, we have access to a lot of involved people, places, and things—and if you just put all that together, you can make good things happen.”

Michael Waite—New Haven, CT Branch 19

Carrier saves 14 from explosive fire

Michael Waite, a five-year carrier with New Haven, Conn., Branch 19, was delivering his route one day in late December 2023 when he saw a man walk out the front door of his townhouse. He wasn’t wearing a shirt or shoes, and his body was covered in soot. A thick plume of smoke billowed from above his head, hinting at the chaos inside.

Waite swiftly dialed 911 on his phone as flames erupted from the windows of the burning building. He urgently knocked on neighboring doors, ensuring all residents were safely evacuated before the fire could engulf their homes.

The owner of the unit where the fire started had medical oxygen tanks, which, Waite said, “Once the fire got to those, they started exploding.”

All 14 townhomes were heavily affected, and “they’ve been vacant since that day. Luckily, no one was injured,” Waite said.

The saved occupants included the family of a clerk at Waite’s station. “This man is my hero forever,” wrote his co-worker, Monique Johnson. “It just feels good knowing that nobody was hurt,” Waite said.

Taya Cradle—Laurel, MD Branch 3755

Carrier provides CPR to unconscious man

On Feb. 28, Laurel, Md., Branch 3755 member Taya Cradle walked into a high-rise apartment building on her route. As she looked to her left, she noticed four people standing in front of an elevator observing an unconscious man lying in his own vomit.

The carrier asked if anyone had contacted 911, and no one had, so she dialed 911 and told the operator, “I am a mail carrier and I see a man lying unconscious in his own throw-up.”
The operator instructed Cradle to check for a pulse and count to see if the man was breathing. She followed the operator’s instructions but could not find a pulse. The operator then told her to begin chest compressions.

“I gave him CPR for probably five or six minutes,” she said. When the paramedics arrived, they continued the work. The man eventually regained consciousness and was taken to the hospital. Cradle’s quick action likely saved the man’s life.

Skyler Wilburg—Long Island Merged, NY Branch 6000

Carrier saves elderly woman from SUV

On May 24, Skyler Wilburg was working his Long Island route when he saw an elderly woman fall from her driveway into the path of her own rolling SUV. Her car was rolling backward, and she was unable to get out of the way in time.

Wilburg reacted quickly, running to the woman and pulling her to safety just in time before the SUV came to a stop. The woman was not injured, and she later thanked Wilburg for saving her life.

“It all happened so fast,” Wilburg said. “I didn’t really have time to think about it.”

David Moulton—Massachusetts Northeast Merged Branch 25

Carrier saves child from busy intersection

David Moulton was delivering his route in Leominster, Mass., when he saw a young child dart out into a busy intersection near a school. The child didn’t look in either direction before running across the street, and there was traffic coming.

Moulton, a 25-year carrier with Branch 25, acted quickly, pulling the child out of harm’s way just seconds before a car sped by.

The child’s parents later thanked Moulton for his quick thinking and saving their child from what could have been a tragic accident.

Carriers lead blood drive initiative

Flushing, N.Y., Branch 29 members Andrew Fontanetta and Anthony “Tony” Paolillo led a highly successful blood drive initiative that has collected more than 1,500 pints of blood over several years. Their partnership with local hospitals and blood banks has helped save countless lives, and their dedication to making a difference has inspired others in the community to follow suit.