ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Matthew Kendrick of Sacramento, California, a professional truck driver for Melton Truck Lines of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association for not only shielding crashed vehicles but also assisting occupants that were trapped.
In July, Kendrick was driving in a heavy rain and wind storm near the Pearl River in Mississippi. “I saw that several trucks were starting to break up ahead of me,” he said. “And then I noticed that a tree had come down and crushed two cars in front of me.”
Acting swiftly, Kendrick safely pulled his truck over to block approaching vehicles from the inoperable cars.
Without a moment to spare, he grabbed his tools and quickly ran to check on the occupants.
As he approached the first vehicle, the roof was completely gone. Kendrick noticed additional vehicles approaching the scene. “I told the [drivers] to all put on their lights so that we didn’t have a pile up,” he shared.
Once peering inside the first car, he found a woman and her daughter, both visibly shaken but coherent.
“I assured the passengers that everything was going to be alright, and then used my spotlights to secure the area until law enforcement arrived,” Kendrick said. In the second car, he discovered a man, along with a Bassett Hound.
While awaiting emergency personnel, Kendrick retrieved a soda from his cab as well as dog bones as he has a dog in the truck.
TCA has presented Kendrick with a certificate, patch, lapel pin, and truck decals. Melton Truck Lines, Inc. also received a certificate acknowledging their driver as a Highway Angel.
.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
