Professional truck drivers Mike Callahan and Bradley Edwards have been named Highway Angels by the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) for 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 the inception of the program in 1997, nearly 1,300 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 sponsor, DriverFacts. To nominate a driver or read more about these and other Highway Angel award recipients, visit highwayangel.org.
BRADLEY EDWARDS
Carter Express, Inc.
Anderson, Indiana
A resident of Athens, Alabama, who drives for Anderson, Indiana-based Carter Express, Inc., Bradley Edwards came to the rescue of an injured tanker driver following a crash.
On May 3, 2023, around 10 a.m., Edwards was traveling north on Interstate 65 in Cullman, Alabama, when he saw a tanker truck wreck ahead of him.
“I saw dirt go flying up, and I knew it was a tanker,” said Edwards, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. “First thing I thought was, ‘Oh, this thing is gonna explode.’”
Edwards quickly pulled over to assist and ran to the truck. The tanker was leaking fuel, increasing his concerns. Another passerby also stopped and handed Edwards a crowbar. Edwards was able to use the tool to break out the back glass of the tractor and extricate the crash victim from the wreckage.
“We carried him up to the side of the road, and an ambulance was there within minutes,” Edwards said. “He was messed up bad — his arm was all messed up.”
The emergency rescue vehicles took the injured trucker away. At this point, Edwards, a trucker for the past eight years, was also covered in blood after helping, and had shards of glass stuck in his hands from breaking out the other truck’s window.
But, he said, he never hesitated to step up to help the injured trucker.
“When you see something like that and you can help, you should be able to stop,” he said.
MIKE CALLAHAN
Melton Truck Lines
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Mike Callahan of Harts Location, New Hampshire, was honored for coming to the rescue of a couple after their vehicle crashed into a deep ditch — really more of a ravine. He drives for Melton Truck Lines of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
At about 5 a.m. April 19, 2023, Callahan was parked at a Pilot truck stop in Bowman, South Carolina, when he heard a loud crash.
“I stopped what I was doing. I knew something bad had happened,” he said. “A small car with two passengers in it had gone off the road and over a 25-foot bank, landing in a ditch between the highway and the truck stop.”
He quickly ran to check on the passengers, called 911, and was able to get them out of the vehicle. Though the vehicle appeared to be totaled, the young male and female passengers seemed uninjured. Callahan got the woman a blanket and waited with the couple until emergency responders arrived. Oddly, he was the only person that took time to help the crash victims.
“It was a truck stop full of trucks, and it surprised me that nobody else heard it or saw it. I was the only one there (helping),” Callahan said. “It was the right thing to do. I would hope if my kids ran off the road, somebody would stop to help.”
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2023 edition of Truckload Authority, the official publication of the Truckload Carriers Association.
The Truckload Authority News Staff, comprised of award winning journalists and graphic artists, produces content for Truckload Authority, working in cooperation with the Truckload Carriers Association staff. Truckload Authority aims to keep TCA members abreast on the latest trends in the trucking industry as well as articles that feature TCA member executives and drivers. The Truckload Authority staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
