Truck drivers are the eyes of the road in America. Public servants, firefighters, and police can’t be everything, everywhere, all at once. Sometimes, we need brave civilians to step up and help out. And sometimes, those brave people are truck drivers.
One particularly brave individual has earned the designation of a “Highway Angel” after saving the life of an overdosing driver of a four-wheeler.
What is a Highway Angel?
The Truckload Carriers Association, a trade association within the trucking industry, started the Highway Angel program in 1997 to recognize drivers that go above and beyond to help out the public.
A truck driver may be called upon to perform a good deed, like rescuing a stranded person from a broken-down vehicle. Other times, the occasion is more serious, and truck drivers have performed life-saving CPR.
Because the trucking career puts drivers on highways across North America, the TCA felt it was necessary to recognize these Good Samaritans.
The Story of Corey Parker
The truck driver who saved an overdosing civilian is Corey Parker, who owns Triple S Transport.
After witnessing a Lexus sedan swerving across lanes and slamming into barriers, Parker instantly knew he had to act. Initially, Parker tried to use his horn to warn the driver and, hopefully, other people on the highway.
Unfortunately, the Lexus didn’t respond. But it did eventually slow to about 10-15 mph after hitting the barrier once more.
Parker made his move. He pulled his semi-truck in front of the Lexus and guided the car to a stop against another barrier.
When Parker exited his truck and opened the door of the Lexus, he found an unconscious driver with a Narcan pen on the driver’s lap. Narcan pens, or naloxone, are used to potentially reverse the effects of an opioid addiction.
Police and emergency soon showed up. The driver of the Lexus survived, although the person refused further medical attention.
According to the TCA, Parker once struggled with drug addiction himself. Parker is now clean and happily married. He owns a home as well as his own trucking business.
Hopefully the driver of the Lexus can get the help they need as well.