For the last twenty years, Truckload Carriers Association has honored heroes in the trucking industry. They call this the Highway Angels program. While a trucker’s job is not to save lives, due to the nature of the work… sometimes truckers are in the right place at the right time.

If no one else is around and an accident or emergency occurs, a truck driver’s actions can save a life. The latest truck drivers honored by TCA’s Highway Angels program were Brian Snell, of Merrimack, NH; Terry McKnight, of Aylmer, Ontario, Canada; and Jared Flach, of Theodore, AL.

Brian’s Story

Last summer, on June 8, Brian Snell, a driver for Pottle’s Transportation out of Hermon, ME, was driving down I-95 in Westward, MA. While driving, he saw another car headed down the road with no lights, going the wrong direction on the highway. That car then spun out of control. Brian blocked oncoming traffic with his own truck.

Then, he ran to the car and tried to resuscitate the unconscious driver. Apparently, he had been a paramedic, so he acted instinctively. When the car’s engine went up in flames, he used his fire extinguisher to fight it. He even helped remove the woman from her car when the emergency personnel arrived.

Terry’s Story

Terry McKnight, a driver for Challenger Motor Freight’s story occurred last October. He was driving on I-75 in Cincinnati, right around rush hour. He witnessed an accident occur when a car sped onto the highway, trying to cut into the middle lane. That car crashed into another from behind, and that vehicle spun around until it stopped facing oncoming traffic. The other car flipped over and slid down the highway upside down.

Terry was able to drive his truck behind the car and shield it from the oncoming traffic. He also helped the driver get out of the crash and called for emergency personnel. In fact, Terry was the only one who stopped to help during the accident.

Jared’s Story

Jared Flach, a driver for Groendyke Transport based out of Enid, OK, was driving out of a weigh station in Pensacola, FL at the beginning of his story. He was also a former EMT, as well as a former fireman. When he came across a burning vehicle, he rushed to help.

He used the fire extinguisher from his truck to fight the flames, and another truck driver did the same. While the fire did not stop, they lessened it enough so they could help pull an injured man from the vehicle. They then found a woman injured outside the vehicle. Luckily, due to their help, both survived the accident.

Thanks to these Highway Angels, these lives were saved! Thank you to all our truckers who do their best to keep highways and roads safe. What do you think of these truckers and their stories?