Meet the man who saved the Trooper's life in Ripley Co.

(MADISON, Ind.) – We’re learning more about the Good Samaritan who was honored this week by the Indiana State Police for saving the life of a trooper. 

That Good Samaritan has been identified as Stanton Loder III and it turns out he was more than 4 hours away from his home when he performed the life-saving action.

Loder lives in southern Illinois and had been working as a FedEx driver back in November.

He had never been to Southeast Indiana until he was assigned a route to make deliveries in the Madison area on November 19.

On that day, Loder was traveling on Old Michigan Road in southern Ripley County when he came upon an Indiana State Trooper that was talking to a man who had been walking down the road.

Stanton kept driving as it looked like an ordinary police situation. That changed a few seconds later. 

“I was talking to my wife on the phone when I looked in my side mirror and saw the officer and the man fighting in the ditch,” Loder told The 812.

Loder immediately parked, hopped out of the truck, and ran nearly 100 yards toward the commotion. 

Stanton couldn’t believe what he saw when he got close. The suspect was on top and digging his fingers into the trooper's eyes, causing bleeding.

“The trooper said help me buddy he’s got ahold of my gun,” Loder recalled.

Loder fought to get the man off the trooper and was eventually able to hold the suspect down.

“The guy gave up pretty quick after that and was then put under arrest by that trooper,” he added. 

That lifesaving act happened the one and only time Loder has ever been in our area.

Loder no longer works for FedEx and now has a new job in the geothermal drilling industry in the Vandalia, Illinois area. 

He never expected to be recognized by the Indiana State Police but said he truly appreciates the award and would perform the same lifesaving action again.

When asked what he hopes people take away from his story, he said, “I hope anybody else would do the same.”

What Happened Next

The trooper that was involved in the altercation is ISP Sgt. David Meyer. He sustained a severe shoulder injury and is now recovering.

The suspect has been identified as 46-year-old Larry Webster, of Aurora.

Webster has been charged with Attempted Murder in Ripley County and is facing similar charges in Jefferson County, as he allegedly ran over a pedestrian shortly before the altercation with Sgt. Meyer occurred. Read that story here.