“We wanted to recognize Rick Favreau on behalf of our family,” said Raville, who is from North Bangor. “He risked his life to save my brother-in-law.”

Favreau doesn’t see himself as a hero.

“Anybody in my situation would have done the same thing. I wasn’t thinking. It was just instincts. Even after I heard the explosion, I hesitated a second. Then, I just went in.”

Favreau was two trucks behind Cruz on the Northway as they were driving back to the quarry in Plattsburgh.

“I saw the fender going flying off,” he recalled Wednesday.

Once Cruz’s truck went off the road, Favreau checked his mirror, turned on his blinker and pulled off.

He tried the driver’s side door of Cruz’s truck but had to go around to the other side.

“By the time I got to the other side, there was smoke just rolling out the windows,” Favreau said. “So I just grabbed a hold of him.”

He thinks Cruz would have fared OK without him, even though he was hurt, had difficulty breathing and couldn’t see.

“He would have got himself out, had I been there or not. Ray’s a fighter. I learned that that day,” Favreau said. “And he’s definitely a nice guy.”