London trucker recognized for helping U.S. driver after crash

When London trucker Joseph Carroll slammed on the brakes last March and climbed out of his rig to help a fellow driver, he worried he was arriving at the scene of a fatal crash.

Instead, the story has a happy ending and the 58-year-old has made a short-list of hundreds of truckers in Canada and the United States nominated for their acts of kindness and bravery on the road.  

"The most important thing is that the other driver is safe," said Carroll. "I like to think that other drivers would do the same thing for me." 

It was about 5 a.m. on March 24 of last year and Carroll was at the wheel of his rig, driving north on I-75, just past Wapakoneta, Ohio. 

Carroll was heading back on a regular run, one he often does three times a week, which takes him from Ontario to Kentucky, to Ohio then back home to Canada again. 

On that morning, Carroll was following a transport truck about half a mile in front of him. As it came to a bridge, Carroll saw the truck in front of him suddenly veer to one side. 

"I saw a flash of a reflector," said Carroll. "As I came closer, I saw that he'd hit the steel guard rail."  

After that initial strike, the rig Carroll was following hit a concrete abutment on the bridge before going through a steel guard rail and down a three-metre embankment before the rig rolled onto its side. 

Carroll managed to bring his truck to a stop. He climbed out and a woman who'd been travelling in the other director also stopped. Carroll asked her to call 911 while he scrambled down the embankment to check on the driver. 

Driver pinned, shaken up

When Carroll got to the trunk, things were looking dire. The crash had sheared away the truck's roof. The truck had been hauling a dump trailer loaded with lime, which had spilled across the crash site and was smoking. 

"To be truthful, I did not think there was going to be a survivor," said Carroll. "There was no roof on top of the truck. As I went down the hill, I was calling out 'Driver! Driver' and thank God he answered me. He said 'I'm over here.'"

The driver had been thrown clear of the cab and wound up pinned to the ground underneath the truck's roof. He was covered by the roof and the contents of his cab. 

"I kind of pushed the roof off of him and he was underneath his mattress," said Carroll. "His food, cooler tools, all his belongings were just on him. He was lying on his back under all the debris." 

Carroll kept the driver still while he assessed his injuries. He considers it a miracle the driver was only sore, not seriously hurt. 

"He was shaken, confused, but he was fine," said Carroll. 

Lime is considered hazardous cargo and so Carroll made the decision to help the driver get up to the road and away from the crash site until emergency crews could arrive. 

Christmas text from other driver

The other driver (Carroll later learned his name was John) hasn't been able to return to work. However, the two have stayed in touch by text. John is from Ohio and he's still recovering from the crash.

"He sent me a 'Merry Christmas' message and I sent him one back," said Carroll, who works for Elgin Motor Freight. 

It wasn't the only message of gratitude Carroll received after the crash. 

His actions that day have earned him recognition by the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), an industry group that represents more than 800 trucking operators in the United States and Canada.

Since 1997, the awards have given recognition to drivers who help others on the roads, nominating them for "Highway Angel" awards. 

Those yearly submissions are then pared down to five top stories, which are further whittled down to a final three. Just before Christmas, Carroll learned his efforts had earned him a place in the top five. If he makes the top three, he'll be invited to the annual spring Highway Angel award ceremony in Alexandria, Va.

Carroll is tickled to be recognized for his efforts that day. He sees the incident as proof of the good truckers do on the road and the camaraderie they have for each other. 

"We look out for each other out there," he said. "If we see a flat tire or someone needs help backing into a dock, there will be another driver and he'll come over and help you."

You can read more about other drivers nominated on the Highway Angel web page.