DRIVER COMFORTS RATTLED MOTORISTS FOLLOWING HIGHWAY CRASH, EARNS HIGHWAY ANGEL WINGS

05/16/2019
Alexandria, Virginia

Michael Morgan of San Angelo, Texas, a professional truck driver for Melton Truck Lines of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA). He is being recognized for his willingness to assist motorists after they lost control of their SUV on slick roads and veered off the highway.

It was 8 a.m. February 12, and driver Michael Morgan was on Highway 295 enroute to Camden, New Jersey. He was trying to get ahead of a bad storm. It was snowing and sleeting and the roads were starting to get bad. Because of the poor conditions, Morgan was going about 45 mph in the right lane. Suddenly, a Lexus SUV came around on his left and got just far enough in front of Morgan for him to see the vehicle’s license plate before the driver lost control on the slick road and spun out. Morgan had just enough time to apply the brakes, slow the truck, and miss hitting the SUV by inches before it veered off the road and slammed into a tree.

Another truck driver traveling behind Morgan saw what happened and radioed him asking if he was okay and told Morgan he would call emergency services. Morgan pulled his truck to the shoulder and went to check on the SUV. There was extensive damage to the vehicle. The driver’s side had hit the tree. All the windows were broken and the roof was smashed in preventing the doors from being opened. There were two men inside. Although they were badly shaken, they didn’t appear to be injured.

Morgan saw a wedding band on the driver’s hand and started asking him questions about his family to distract him as they waited for state troopers to arrive. “He told me he had an eight-month-old son at home named Michael,” Morgan says with some emotion in his voice. “I have four kids of my own. I would hope that if something like that happened to me someone would stop to help. I was raised in a small community where everyone takes care of everyone,” he shared. “You have to have compassion for others. It’s the right thing to do, otherwise we’re not doing what we’re supposed to in life.”

For his willingness to assist his fellow drivers, TCA has presented Morgan with a certificate, patch, lapel pin, and truck decals. The company has also received a certificate acknowledging their driver as a Highway Angel.