Trucker helps diabetic motorist

Jonathan BennettWalden Haulers Group driver Jonathan Bennett was named a Highway Angel for helping a motorist avert a medical emergency, the Truckload Carriers Association announced.

Bennett, an emergency medical technician, helped administer orange juice from his cab to a woman with diabetes in November. She had been unable to maintain proper glucose levels while she and her sister were stopped at a road closing near a mountain gorge on Interstate 40 between North Carolina and Tennessee. When the woman’s sister began knocking on motorists’ windows to seek help, Bennett offered the orange juice to the diabetic woman and urged her and her sister to get solid food as soon as possible.

For his efforts, Bennett received a Highway Angel lapel pin, certificate and patch. Walden Haulers Group, based in Harriman, Tenn., received a certificate of appreciation.

Since its start in 1997, the Highway Angels program has recognized hundreds of drivers for helping motorist in need while on the job.