DRIVER EARNS HIGHWAY ANGEL WINGS FOR HELPING ELDERLY DRIVER FOLLOWING A CRASH

7/16/2021
Alexandria, Virginia  

The Truckload Carriers Association has named Jesse Davis, from Lakeland, Florida a Highway Angel for stopping to help an elderly driver after he crashed into a guardrail on the highway.  

It was early afternoon and Davis was finishing up his day as he merged onto U.S. 169 from I-244 near Tulsa, Oklahoma. When he checked his mirrors again, he noticed a car crash into the guardrail just behind him. “He came around the curve a little too fast,” Davis shared with TCA. “He lost control and slammed into the guardrail head on.” Without hesitation, Davis pulled to the shoulder and ran back. The driver appeared to be in his 80s. “He was dazed, but okay,” said Davis. “He told me he knew he was going a little too fast for the curve and misjudged the ramp a bit.” Since the vehicle was blocking traffic from merging onto the highway, Davis directed the driver to move the vehicle off to the side as Davis held traffic back. Another vehicle stopped to offer help and told Davis they would call 911 while he tended to the driver. “My focus was on him and getting him out of harm’s way,” recalled Davis. He then waited with the driver until the Highway Patrol arrived. The driver told Davis he lived just north of Tulsa. 

Davis said the skills he learned as a volunteer fireman, particularly emergency rescue techniques, have helped him a number of times. “It comes in handy out here,” he shared. “There are some places where the response time can be pretty long. I’ve seen rollovers and fatality accidents and helped with a lot of them.” Davis has spent 42 years behind the wheel of a truck and says he’s enjoyed every minute of it. “My uncle took me on my first ride when I was 12,” he said with a smile. “It was my dream and I’m living it.”  

For his willingness to assist, 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.

Special thanks to the program’s Presenting Sponsor, EpicVue, and Supporting Sponsor, DriverFacts.