Army veteran trucker named Highway Angel for assisting unresponsive driver

Ricky ShearerRicky Shearer

A truck driver for Hirschbach Motor Lines has been named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association for his quick response to a call for help.

Ricky Shearer, of Haysville, Kansas, was at the unloading bay at Walmart in Mebane, North Carolina, on March 31 when he heard a loud scream. He quickly left his truck and went to see what was wrong.

He found the wife of another trucker crying out for help as her husband lay unconscious and unresponsive on the ground. He rushed to check on the man, found he wasn’t breathing and performed CPR until paramedics arrived.

“I worked on him as hard as I could,” Shearer said. Although the man was revived, he died a short time later. “I went back to my truck, feeling defeated. It hurts whether you know the person or not; it’s another human being.”

Shearer is an Army veteran who did two tours overseas. For his willingness to help, TCA presented him with a certificate, patch, lapel pin and truck decals. Hirschbach also received a certificate acknowledging their driver as a Highway Angel. EpicVue sponsors the TCA Highway Angel program.

The Business Manual for Owner-Operators
Overdrive editors and ATBS present the industry’s best manual for prospective and committed owner-operators. You’ll find exceptional depth on many issues in the 2022 edition of Partners in Business.
Download
Partners in Business Issue Cover