TCA Salutes
Highway Angels Team of Matt Jorgensen and Bob
Landis
Alexandria, VA, May 4, 2004 – The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA)
recently recognized Matt Jorgensen, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Bob Landis, of Hollywood,
S.C., as Highway Angels for assisting a man involved in a serious accident.
Jorgensen and Landis were traveling north on I-55
in Arkansas at around midnight when they came upon
an accident that had just occurred. In fact, Jorgensen
estimates
had he passed by just 10 seconds earlier, he would have been hit by the car
veering off the road.
"
I was looking up ahead of me," said Jorgensen, who was driving at the time, "and
saw dust in the oncoming traffic headlights. As I got closer, I saw all kinds
of debris on the road and then I caught a headlight on the right in the ditch
below."
Realizing that traffic was light and he would be
the first person on the scene, Jorgensen didn’t hesitate to stop. As Jorgensen secured the rig and reported
the accident on his CV, Landis, a former EMT, ran through the darkness in the
direction of the headlights. The vehicle had flipped over several times and landed
on all four wheels. The windshield had popped out and was lying on the road.
Personal belongings were strewn everywhere, yet the driver remained in the vehicle.
Landis began talking to the young man while Jorgensen hurried over with a flashlight
and fire extinguisher.
"
He was lucky he was wearing a seat belt," Jorgensen said, "because
he would have been ejected from that vehicle. Everything was all over the place:
his clothes, pictures…"
Not knowing the extent of the driver’s injuries, Landis attempted to keep
the young man still. He checked the man for trauma and inspected the cut on his
head. Then he and Jorgensen talked with the man to keep him from going into shock. "He
knew who the president was, so we figured he was coherent," Joregensen
said chuckling. "But the guy was shaken up and cold. Bob told him not to
move his neck, but he wasn’t listening."
The two truckers covered the man with a jacket, kept
him awake, and tried to keep him from moving too much
as they waited for the paramedics to arrive. In
the meantime, other truckers had pulled over and were helping to move traffic
and get debris out of the road.
When asked why he had stopped to assist the driver,
Jorgensen said, "It
happened right in front of me. I had to stop."
Jorgensen and Landis received a Highway Angel lapel
pin, certificate, and patch for their efforts at the
scene of the accident. Annett Holdings, Inc., also
received
a certificate for acknowledging these two 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.shtml#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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