Conductor Tommy McMullen left for work on the morning of May 27 thinking it would be a regular day on the Great Lakes Central Railroad (GLC). He ended up working his regular shift but saved a life along the way.

McMullen was driving on M-71, a two-lane state highway, near Corunna, Michigan, around 6:30 a.m. He was heading to the GLC’s Owosso depot when an oncoming vehicle clipped another car as it attempted to pass. The clipped car lost control, spun off the road, and rolled several times before coming to a rest on its side in a wooded area off the highway.

Fortunately, McMullen was far enough away to avoid being involved in the accident and stopped his vehicle near where the other driver left the road. He ran to the crashed car and found a female driver stuck inside. The only way to enter the vehicle was by breaking the sunroof. He helped the woman out of the seatbelt and pulled her from the vehicle just as it caught fire.

“The police said Tommy saved the woman’s life,” said Senior Trainmaster Kevin Mayer. “He was the only one who stopped, and if he’d hesitated, she would have still been in the vehicle as it burned.”

The driver suffered several severe lacerations and a head injury. She was treated at the scene by paramedics and taken to a local hospital where she recovered. Mayer says McMullen gave his statement to the officers and continued to the depot.

McMullen joined the GLC just after the Watco startup, in November 2025. Mayer says McMullen has been an asset to the team. He’s always focused on safety, stops work and asks questions when he’s unsure about something, and is eager to help others.

“Tommy came in and told us what happened. He still had some of the woman’s blood on his arms,” Mayer said. “He wasn’t rattled. That’s just who he is. He washed his arms and went about his day switching railcars for our customers.”