A Hirschbach Motor Lines driver has been recognized for helping a couple involved n an accident earlier this year.
The Truckload Carriers Association has named professional truck driver, Nick Stilla Highway Angel for aiding a couple after their vehicle spun out and overturned on an icy road.
TCA explains what happened:
Nick StillStill was driving along Highway 34 near Galesburg, Illinois late one morning in February. It was sleeting and snowing and the roads were slick so he was leaving some distance between himself and the pickup truck ahead of him. “Just as we were approaching an overpass, I watched him spin out,” he said. “They spun around and rolled. A big cloud of powdery snow went up and when it settled they were laying on the passenger side in the ditch,." The driver wasn’t driving erratically, but simply hit a patch of black ice under a thin layer of snow, according to Still.
“I pulled to the side, threw on my hazards, and called 911,” said Still. He then ran over to the overturned vehicle as the driver was climbing out of the driver’s door. “I gave him a hand and then helped lift his wife out.” Still says the pair appeared to be in their 50s and were fortunate to walk away without any major injuries. “She may have injured her arm because the vehicle landed on the passenger side,” he said.
“It all happened so fast that I didn’t even catch their names. I was just trying to make sure they were okay,” he said. Still waited until police and EMTs arrived. He learned the couple later called his employer to thank him for helping them that day. He has been driving with Hirschbach Motor Lines for three years.
TCA has presented him with a certificate, patch, lapel pin, and truck decals. His employer has also received a certificate acknowledging their driver 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 is made possible by Presenting Sponsor, EpicVue, and Supporting Sponsor, DriverFacts.
Nick Still
