The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has recognized professional truck drivers Ashley Smith, Heather Barkey, Ron Ross and Oleksandr Tkachuk 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.
ASHLEY SMITH
Decker Truck Line Inc., Fort Dodge, Iowa
Ashley Smith of Cisco, Texas, a lease operator for Decker Truck Line Inc., is recognized as a TCA Highway Angel because of her actions following an early-morning crash near Kingman, Arizona.
At about 2:15 a.m. on June 7, Smith was driving along U.S. Highway 83 in Arizona when she arrived at the scene of an accident. According to reports, a car, occupied by two men, was traveling the wrong way on the divided highway when it crashed head-on with another vehicle that was carrying a man, a woman and a 3-year-old child.
Demonstrating a high level of composure and professionalism, Smith safely positioned her vehicle, ensured her own safety and jumped into action.
“I got out of the truck and I called 911,” Smith said. “(One of the cars) basically started to catch fire — and caught fire to the other one before anybody could get there.”
Smith did her best to try to extinguish the fire and used her flashlight to try to alert drivers to the deadly crash, putting herself at risk as she worked to direct traffic to avoid the vehicles and debris.
“I didn’t want somebody to hit the two cars that were there. In the process, I almost got hit by a semi that was not paying attention,” Smith said. “I had to dive off the highway.”
Unfortunately, all five people involved in the early morning crash were declared dead at the scene.
Smith’s actions that day were not only selfless; they also went unspoken: She did not report the incident to her team. It was only brought to light when law enforcement reached out to Decker Truck Line for possible dash cam footage. An Arizona trooper specifically acknowledged Smith’s helpfulness in his follow-up, which highlighted her instinctive drive to serve and protect without seeking recognition.
“I was just doing what I hoped anyone would do,” she said.
HEATHER BARKEY
Nussbaum Transportation, Hudson, Illinois
Heather Barkey of Volant, Pennsylvania, is honored as a TCA Highway Angel because of her quick actions in helping a driver who was trapped in his truck following a rollover. Barkey drives for Nussbaum Transportation.
On June 18, around 10:30 p.m., Barkey was driving through Mount Vernon, Illinois, on her way to Nussbaum’s terminal, when she saw a tractor-trailer that had rolled.
“I stopped on the side of the road because no one had stopped,” she wrote in a message to her company. “The truck was smoking when I got there, and you could smell fuel.”
Barkey took time to turn on her hazard lights to avoid compounding the accident; then she called 911 before running to the other truck.
“The driver was stuck in there. I happened to have a MAGLITE flashlight in my hand, so I beat the window until I got it busted open, and then he was able to kick it out,” she wrote. “Of course I called 911 during all of this, and I stayed on the scene until the officer told me I was good to go. I’m just glad he was okay.”
RON ROSS
MCK Trucking Inc., Madison, Alabama
Ron Ross of Newport Tennessee, who drives for MCK Trucking Inc., has earned TCA Highway Angel wings for helping law enforcement apprehend an abductor.
At about 4 p.m. on February 25, Ross was parked at a rest area along Interstate 40 in rural West Tennessee, near Jackson, when he saw a young woman fleeing.
“This young girl went running to the right of my truck, in the grass, with shoes in her hand,” Ross said. “I thought in my head, ‘Something’s not right about that!’”
Ross watched as she ran about a quarter of a mile before diving into the woods. Immediately afterward, he spotted a man pursuing the woman into the woods.
“It scared me,” he said. “I went and called 911.”
Luckily a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper was nearby and able to respond within five minutes. As a result, the woman, who had been held captive by her pursuer, was rescued.
Law enforcement told Ross the young woman had been abducted in California.
Ross also provided police with video captured via his Samsara windshield camera. Thanks to this, law enforcement has solid evidence to use in prosecuting the abductor.
“I asked another truck driver who was there, ‘Did I just save that girl’s life?’,” Ross said. “I hope I did.”
David Wheeler, MCK Transportation’s safety director, promotes the Truckers Against Trafficking program. He says he’s often encouraged drivers to say something if they see something.
“MCK is grateful to have a driver like Ron, who make a difference in the world,” Wheeler said.
OLEKSANDR TKACHUK
Trimac Transportation, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
TCA has named Oleksandr Tkachuk of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, as a Highway Angel for administering CPR on a during a roadside medical emergency.
It all happened on May 5 in Hardisty, Alberta, when Tkachuk, an independent contractor for Trimac Transportation’s Hardisty branch, pulled over to check on the occupants of a stopped vehicle.
“On the side of the road I saw a vehicle. Two young people were helping a young man, probably about 25, who was on the ground,” Tkachuk said. “I didn’t see anyone else, so I thought that I should stop.”
Tkachuk immediately realized the man on the ground was unconscious. A young man, who appeared to be the unconscious man’s younger brother, was crying as he attempted to CPR. The man was unresponsive.
Tkachuk asked if he could help; then he took over chest compressions.
“I was trained in CPR. I had hoped that I wouldn’t have to use it in my life — but I needed to use it. I was doing chest compressions for this guy who was on the ground,” he said.
The young man and woman who were also at the scene had already dialed 911. They held up on speaker so the dispatch personnel could talk Tkachuk through the procedure. He performed CPR for about 20 minutes until emergency personnel arrived and took over.
Tkachuk says the young man never regained consciousness while he was there.
“I was hoping to see if he survived or not, but I don’t know,” he said. “I was doing what I was trained to do.”
Tkachuk’s courage, quick thinking and willingness to help in a life-threatening situation are a powerful reminder of what it means to rise to the challenge.
This story originally appeared in the September/October 2025 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.
