TCA Salutes Highway Angels Rodney Tasso and Devin
Bruce of Utah
Alexandria, VA, March 7, 2003 - The Truckload
Carriers Association (TCA) recently recognized Rodney
"Rocky" Tasso and Devin Bruce, of Westvalley
and Tremonton, Utah, respectively, as Highway Angels
for assisting a family involved in a serious accident.
Tasso and Bruce were on a training trip for Merit Distribution
Services, Inc., traveling eastbound on a desolate area
of I-70 through Utah. It was a cold evening, and the
roads were slick. Suddenly, the two men caught a strange
sight in the westbound lane: headlights running sideways.
As the driver attempted to straighten out the vehicle,
he hit the sandy median and the car flipped over several
times. The two truckers watched the headlights bouncing
in the darkness, and they knew they had to stop.
"We brought the truck to a stop as gingerly as
possible," Bruce recalled. "There was black
ice everywhere."
The two men then hurried to the scene, Tasso dialing
911 on his cell phone as he ran. They found a child,
a young male, and a young female partially out of the
vehicle when they arrived and an elderly woman lying
on the snowy ground outside the vehicle.
"I took my coat off and covered the lady on the
ground…. I have a big, wool mountain man coat,"
explained Bruce, adding that he "didn't dare move
her," because he didn't have a good feeling about
the way she looked. In fact, shortly thereafter, "I
saw her take her last breath," he recalled, the
emotion coming through his voice. "It was a deep,
heaving breath. We didn't say anything to [the others];
we didn't want to create further havoc."
The truckers assisted the other three individuals who
appeared to be injured but not seriously. The woman
complained of a hurt shoulder, and the toddler had a
bump on his forehead the size of a golf ball.
While the young man stayed by the vehicle, Bruce took
the woman and child to their truck to keep them warm.
He put yellow triangles out on the road and got on the
CB to warn others of the situation ahead. Tasso stayed
with the elderly woman and spoke with the young man
to keep him calm. Tasso tried to distract him by letting
the man use his cell phone to call relatives in California.
When the paramedics arrived, at least a half hour
later, the truckers relayed the situation and headed
back on the road sometime after midnight. "I was
fine throughout the incident, but a half hour later,
I was just rattled," recalled Bruce. It was "absolutely
helpful" to have Tasso with him, he said. "He's
a terrific guy."
Although he was driving as a trainee with this carrier,
Bruce said he had been driving for two years prior to
joining the company and has helped people in need on
the road before. But this was the first time he experienced
someone dying at the scene. Still, he'd do it again
"in a New York second."
"We're out there every day and we get to see the
things that happen," he explained. "If we
see a situation … I don't know how someone could
turn their backs and walk away. If everyone were to
stop and help one another, this world would be a whole
lot better place."
Both Tasso and Bruce received a Highway Angel lapel
pin, certificate, and patch for their efforts, and their
employer, Merit Distribution Services, Inc., also received
a certificate for acknowledging these Highway Angels
in their midst.
Since its inception in August 1997, the Highway Angel
program has recognized hundreds of drivers for the unusual
kindness, courtesy, and courage they have shown others
while on the job. TCA has received letters and emails
from people across the country nominating truck drivers
for the program.
"We continue to be amazed by the number of professional
truckers who go out of their way to help a stranger
and many times put their lives at risk as well,"
said Nancy O'Liddy, director of public affairs and marketing
for TCA. "TCA is proud and delighted to offer the
kind of program that gives these drivers the recognition
and support they deserve while at the same time creates
a greater public awareness and appreciation for the
many outstanding drivers in this industry."
To view archival copies of past Highway Angel press
releases, visit our website address at www.truckload.org/pressroom/index.htm#angelnews.
To nominate a driver online, go to www.truckload.org/highwayangels/nominate.asp.
For more information on the program, contact TCA at
703/838-1950 or via email at Angel@truckload.org.
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