Gerald Phillips was presented with a trophy and cheque for $5000 at national police headquarters today by Superintendent Paula Rose, the national manager of road policing.
It was mid-winter and Mr Phillips was taking a load of pallets into Dunedin from Port Otago when a vehicle coming toward his line of traffic veered across the centre line into the path of a car in front of him.
The driver of the car swung to the left, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision but rolling over the edge of the causeway and into the harbour.
Mr Phillips braked as quickly as he could in the wet conditions and went to the aid of the driver, whose car was upside down in the water. He was able to wrench the door open and pull the driver, who resurfaced in the backseat, out of the car to safety.
Mr Phillips was one of six nominees for the award, which is sponsored by New Zealand Police, Beaurepaires, NZ Transport Agency and NZ Trucking Magazine.
Others were truck drivers Ted Collins of Hamilton, Aaron Uhlenberg of Hamilton, Nigel Frost of Rotorua, Craig Bushett of Whangarei and Mike Willoughby of Rotorua.
Now in its ninth year, the programme recognises brave, heroic or humanitarian deeds performed by professional truck or bus drivers in the course of their work.
