Trucker honored for stopping to help at crash scene

Daniel BarnettDaniel Barnett

A Pennsylvania-based truck driver has been named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association for stopping at the scene of an accident and helping until emergency services arrived.

Daniel Barnett, a driver for Barber Trucking, has turned onto Highway 19 in West Virginia after loading his flatbed and heading to Buffalo, New York, when he saw brake lights up ahead. As he rounded a corner, he saw a two-vehicle crash in an intersection ahead, then noticed that motorists were frantic and struggling to open the driver’s door of a minivan.

Barnett then saw smoke coming from the hood of the van, so he parked his truck to divert traffic from the accident and went around to the passenger side of the minivan and broke the window. He then gave someone his pocket knife to cut the driver’s seat belt so a nurse on the scene could administer aid.

He then ran back to his truck and grabbed his fire extinguisher, but luckily what he thought was smoke turned out to be steam.

For his willingness to help, TCA awarded Barnett with a certificate, patch, lapel pin and truck decals. Barber Trucking also received a certificate acknowledging their driver as a Highway Angel. The program is sponsored by EpicVue.

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