Lonnie Davis, a truck driver for Hostess Brands/IBC Trucking, LLC, of Columbus, Ga., has been named a Truckload Carriers Association Highway Angel for reporting suspicious activity to authorities that led to the capture of two alleged criminals.
On Feb. 15, Davis was traveling on I-75 south of Gainesville, Fla., when he noticed two men climbing over a wildlife barrier fence along the highway. He later passed several police cars parked on the shoulder. An officer was using a dog to sniff along the fence.
Davis suspected the authorities might be looking for the two men, so he called 911 from his truck and reported what he had seen. He described the men and provided details about their location. Eventually, the men were captured where Davis described.
“I was told that the men had carjacked someone, shots had been fired, and the men had been running from the law all night,” said Davis. “I’m glad they didn’t escape justice.”
The Alachua County Sheriff’s office says information Davis provided led to capture of the two fugitives. Sheriff Sadie Darnell presented him with an award of recognition for his assistance.
For his alert thinking, Davis, a trucker with nearly 50 years on the road, received a Highway Angel lapel pin, certificate and patch. TCA also gave Hostess Brands/IBC Trucking a certificate acknowledging that one of its drivers is a Highway Angel.