Para snowboard Champion Zach Miller saves driver from truck fire in Parley’s Canyon

Zach Miller, 25, of the US Para Snowboard team during a recent training session at US Ski & Snowboard. Miller spotted a man's truck on fire while riding his motorcycle up Parley's Canyon and a video he made on his social media account went viral. Photo: Randi Sidman-Moore|TownLift

Miller was riding his motorcycle up Parley's on his way to a training session in Park City when he spotted flames under the hood of a pickup truck he was passing. He frantically started waving and trying to get the driver, Hector Diaz, to pull over.

PARK CITY, Utah – It was second nature to take action for double World Champion and US Para Snowboard team member Zach Miller. In fact, he believes that all the training and experience he has been though in some way lead him to the moment when he was able to respond to seeing a man’s truck on fire while driving up Parley’s Canyon on August 9.

“I really credit my entire career so far and what I’ve learned from snowboarding as an athlete to how I was able to respond and help that day,” Miller said.

Miller was riding his motorcycle up Parley’s on his way to a training session in Park City when he spotted flames under the hood of a pickup truck he was passing. He frantically started waving and trying to get the driver, Hector Diaz, to pull over before the engine oil fire spread or caused an explosion.

“It’s sort of scary to think about all the things that happened that made it all turn out the way it did,” Miller said.

Diaz saw Miller and pulled over, when he got out of the truck and saw the flames under the hood of the truck, Miller lead Diaz around to the other side of the vehicle and then Diaz quickly opened the hood. Luckily Diaz had some small bottles of water on hand which they used to put the fire out.

Miller said the timing of it all was extremely lucky. Had the fire burned for even minutes longer the outcome could have been catastrophic.

At the same time Miller had his GoPro rolling, which he uses to create content for his other passion of going fast and all things motorcycles.

Later that evening, Miller put a video together and posted on his social media account, which he has been working grow a following for. Not surprisingly, the video has gone completely viral.

“Before the video I was working hard to get to 3,000 followers,” Miller said. In the days after he posted the video on Instagram his followers skyrocketed to 16,000 and as of Monday August 19, Miller had over 18,000 followers.

“I’ve been trying to grow my following, which helps me with sponsors and also to bring awareness to the Paralympics,” Miller said.

In 2023, Miller won an ESPY for “Best Athlete with a Disability.” He is also a two-time Word Champion and he competed in the 2022 Paralympics in Beijing  – he specializes in banked slalom, dual banked slalom and snowboard cross. This winter he is hoping to defend his title as World Champion in dual banked slalom.

Miller was born with cerebral palsy when he was 6 months old and as a result was able to start physical therapy at a relatively young age, which he said was helpful in being able to become an elite athlete. He discovered snowboarding through the sports program at the Children’s Hospital in Denver and further honed his skills with Daniel Gale at Adaptive Action Sports.

It’s crazy, he said, how one thing can change the momentum of everything.

Miller is excited about how he can put the the social media platform he’s created to use to be a spokesperson to bring more attention to para sports and hopefully, to be able to attract sponsors.

 

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