The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has recognized professional truck drivers Phil Damme of Online Transport, Owen Lewis of Sharp Transportation Inc., Marco Medel Morga of AAA Cooper Transportation, and John Bradley of James River Carriers, as TCA Highway Angels because of their acts of heroism while on the road.
In recognition of these drivers’ willingness to help fellow drivers and motorists, TCA has presented each Highway Angel with a certificate, a lapel pin, patches, and truck decals. Their employers have also received a certificate highlighting their driver as a recipient.
Since TCA’s Highway Angels program began in 1997, nearly 1,400 professional truck drivers have been recognized as Highway Angels because of the exemplary kindness, courtesy, and courage they have displayed while on the job. TCA extends special thanks to the program’s presenting sponsor, EpicVue, and supporting sponsors DriverFacts and Northland Insurance.
To nominate a driver or read more about these and other Highway Angel award recipients, visit highwayangel.org.
PHIL DAMME
Online Transport
Shortly before 11 p.m. on October 5, 2025, Phil Damme, a driver for Online Transport of Greenfield, Indiana, was traveling on Interstate 68 in Maryland. As he drove through the mountain passes near Ellicott City, he noticed a strange flicker of headlights, followed by sparks that lit up the roadway ahead.
Realizing something was wrong, he immediately slowed down as he approached the scene, where he discovered an overturned semi-truck blocking the road.
“He actually turned the whole thing over,” he said, referring to the driver of the crashed truck. “He ended up in the median.”
Damme was the second person to arrive, joining another motorist who had narrowly avoided the crash.
Assessing the danger, he quickly helped remove the truck’s shattered windshield to reach the injured driver trapped inside. Seeing that the man was bleeding heavily from his arm, Damme used his own belt as a tourniquet, stemming the bleeding — and likely saving the driver’s life before emergency personnel arrived.
“He was bleeding pretty bad,” Damme said. “I put my belt up above his elbow and tightened it really, really tight to slow down the bleeding.”
Damme’s calm, decisive response turned a chaotic and frightening situation into a coordinated rescue effort. Following the incident, he was personally thanked for his bravery. Known among his colleagues for his strong faith, Damme says that “being in the right place at the right time” was divine guidance.
OWEN LEWIS
Sharp Transportation Inc.
Owen Lewis, who drives for Sharp Transportation Inc., earned his TCA Highway Angel wings because of his courageous and compassionate actions after witnessing a serious crash on Interstate 80 in Iowa.
At about 6 a.m. on November 9, 2025, Lewis was westbound on I-80 near Harlan, Iowa, when he saw an eastbound car lose control and crash. He slowed down and pulled over to help.
“When I got there, the car was about 100 feet or so off the side of the highway, down in an irrigation ditch,” he said.
Upon approaching the wreck, Lewis found a young woman, who identified herself as Cora, walking up the side of the hill. She was uninjured but cold. After she called 911 and her parents, she sat in Lewis’s truck to stay warm until the Iowa State Patrol arrived. She told Lewis she had fallen asleep at the wheel, resulting in the accident.
In a message to Lewis’ employer, Cora’s family, expressed deep gratitude:
“We are very grateful for his kindness and how he kept her safe and warm until the state trooper got to the scene. Owen is a model employee who your company is lucky to have on board. We appreciate what he did for our daughter yesterday!” wrote Emily Truitt and Toby Knoop.
“I’ve always felt like if something happens, I need to stop and make sure everything is OK,” Lewis said.
MARCO MEDEL MORGA
AAA Cooper Transportation
Marco Medel Morga, a driver for AAA Cooper Transportation, has been named a TCA Highway Angel after rescuing crash victims from a burning vehicle.
At about 12:30 p.m. on July 15, 2025, Morga was traveling east on Interstate 88 near Kaneville, Illinois, when he witnessed a serious accident just ahead. Reacting quickly, he was able to avoid hitting either of the vehicles involved.
“I was so close to hitting them — but I got lucky,” he said.
Rather than continuing on his route, Morga safely pulled his truck onto the shoulder and ran to help.
When he arrived at the scene, he discovered one of the vehicles had caught fire.
“The car was on fire, and nobody was getting out of it,” Morga said. “I got nervous about the people in the car. I had to go help them.”
He helped one of the passengers escape from the burning vehicle, ensuring their safety before emergency responders arrived. The other person in the vehicle, a woman, was also able to safely exit the car.
JOHN BRADLEY
James River Carriers
John Bradley, a professional truck driver for James River Carriers, has been named a TCA Highway Angel because of his quick thinking and assistance provided to another driver during a medical emergency.
On the morning of September 15, 2025, while onsite at a customer location in Richmond, Bradley noticed a driver from another company hooking up to the wrong trailer. After helping the driver correct the mistake, Bradley realized the driver had not fully secured the air lines and was preparing to pull away. Moments later, he observed the driver slumped over the steering wheel as the truck slowly rolled forward.
“I called 911,” said Bradley. “I couldn’t leave him because I knew something was wrong.”
Without hesitation, Bradley ran toward the truck, blocked traffic to prevent a potential collision, and climbed inside to bring the vehicle to a stop. He then made sure the driver, who had suffered a medical emergency, received urgent medical assistance. Bradley later found out the other driver’s blood sugar was off that day.
“I’m glad he was all right,” Bradley said. “I stayed with him until the ambulance came.”
This story originally appeared in the January/February 2026 edition of Truckload Authority, the official publication of the Truckload Carriers Association.
Linda Garner-Bunch has been with The Trucker since 2020, picking up the reins as managing editor in 2022. Linda has nearly 40 years of experience in the publishing industry, covering topics from the trucking and automotive industry to employment, real estate, home decor, crafts, cooking, weddings, high school sports — you name it, she’s written about it. She is also an experienced photographer, designer and copy editor who has a heartfelt love for the trucking industry, from the driver’s seat to the C-suite.
