A truck driver's efforts to rescue a mother and her child from a severe collision earned him recognition from a national trucking organization.
The Truckload Carriers Association recently named Christopher Hight, from Mesa, Arizona, a Highway Angel for rescuing a trapped mother and her baby following an accident with another tractor-trailer. Hight drives for Melton Truck Lines based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
TCA explains:
In the Fall of 2021, Hight was driving late one afternoon on Highway 35 in Texas, between Laredo and Dallas, when suddenly, he noticed a truck strike the back of a car ahead of him. There was a tire in the road, and Hight believes the car swerved to miss the tire but unsafely veered into the truck’s lane.
“I saw a big ball of dust, and when it cleared, I saw a car that was smashed completely,” Hight said.
Without a moment to spare, he safely pulled his truck over to the shoulder to offer assistance. The truck that hit the car also stopped. Hight recalled that the fellow truck driver was able to maneuver out of his cab as he suffered no injuries. The car that was hit by the truck had extensive damage in the rear.
“The trunk was actually pushed up against the driver’s seat,” said Hight. “Inside all that, there was a baby in there.”
Hight said the driver, the baby’s mother, suffered some injuries but was able to climb out of the car once Hight peeled back pieces of metal. She was screaming, adamant about the status of her baby boy in the back seat.
“I jumped over there and started trying to get the baby out,” said Hight. “We started peeling the metal back and stuff off the roof and all around.”
After what seemed like hours, Hight and another bystander were able to retrieve the baby from the car and place him into the arms of his mother. The only visible injury to the child was a bloody lip.
Once the mother was reunited with her baby boy, she held up the child to show the truck driver that he was okay.
“The driver fell down on his knees and started crying, and I started crying,” said Hight. “When it comes to kids getting hurt, I just can’t deal with it.”
Thankfully, neither the mother nor child suffered serious injuries.
Hight is the father of six children and had been driving a truck for around eight months when the accident took place.
“They needed help,” Hight said about why he stopped. “I hope someone helps me if something happens with me!”
TCA presented him with a certificate, patches, lapel pin, and truck decals. The company has also received a letter acknowledging him as a Highway Angel.
Since the program’s inception in August 1997, nearly 1,300 professional truck drivers have been recognized as Highway Angels for the exemplary kindness, courtesy, and courage they have displayed while on the job.
The program’s presenting sponsor is EpicVue, and its supporting sponsor is DriverFacts.
