RAPID CITY, SD – The Rapid City Common Council Monday night recognized a South Dakota Mines student athlete for his heroic actions this summer in his hometown of Houston, Texas.     

Jameson Mallon-Echols, a junior mechanical engineering student at Mines and one of the captains on the Hardrockers’ football team, was recognized with a ‘Hometown Hero’ award at Monday’s Council meeting at City Hall.

Council members were joined by South Dakota Mines President Brian Tande, Hardrockers football coach Charlie Flohr and other officials in recognizing Mallon who pulled a teenager from a burning vehicle in Houston in June.

According to gorockers.com, the official athletics site for South Dakota Mines:

“On June 11, Mallon-Echols was driving to a friend’s house in Houston when he saw a car traveling in the opposite direction lose control, cross the media and crash.

            He pulled his car over, called 911 and ran straight towards the wreck. Three teenagers were inside the vehicle. The driver, a 16-year old, was seriously injured and trapped inside. After getting the two other teenagers out of the vehicle, Mallon-Echols turned his attention to the driver.

            Then the vehicle caught fire underneath the driver’s seat.

            As more people arrived at the scene, (Jameson) continued looking for a way to get the driver out. He used his shirt to try and put out the flames while the driver remained trapped inside.

            Eventually, another man was able to get the driver’s seat belt off. The two worked together to pull the teenager from the vehicle, but his legs were still trapped in the wreckage.

            After removing the pieces of metal that were holding him in place, they were finally able to get him out. The two men carried the teenager across the road and away from the vehicle. Shortly afterward, the car was completely engulfed in flames.

            Paramedics arrived shortly afterward and transported the teenager to the hospital. Mallon-Echols stayed at the scene into the early morning hours, answering questions from police before eventually heading home.

            It wasn’t until later that Mallon-Edwards learned the driver was someone he had more in common with than he initially realized. Both attended Bridgeland High School in Houston. With nearly 4,000 students at the school, their paths never crossed, but both were athletes. Mallon-Echols eventually learned the teenager had survived and was recovering in the hospital.”

“This summer, the Rapid City Common Council learned of the heroic actions of Jameson in pulling a teenager from a burning vehicle. We were deeply moved by his courage and willingness to put himself at risk to help another person,” said Council member Laura Armstrong. “On behalf of the Rapid City community, we wanted to invite Jameson to the City Council meeting so that we could publicly acknowledge his heroism, recognize this remarkable act of courage and express our appreciation for his actions.

“While Houston is his hometown, Rapid City has become Jameson’s home away from home. Through his leadership at South Dakota Mines and his commitment to his teammates and community, he has become part of the fabric of Rapid City.”

The Council plans to recognize others in the future with ‘Hometown Hero’ awards.