Highway angels are truck drivers who go out of their way to extend kindness, generosity, courage, and support while they’re on the job. The distinction was established by the Truckload Carries Association in 1997, and just recently, another truck driver was given the title.
Marty Smith, a driver for Melton Truck Lines, witnessed a Jeep hydroplane and then flip multiple times on a rainy September night in Colorado. Smith didn’t hesitate to help extract the driver from the wreck and offer support.
“It was raining like crazy,” Smith said. “I put on my hazards, and I ran across the road — that was the dangerous part, because nobody was slowing down.”
When Smith assessed the situation, he realized the Jeep was on its side and the driver was unable to escape without aid. Smith ran back across the road to his truck to gran his gloves before pulling the windshield off the vehicle; the driver was kicking it from the inside in an attempt to get free.
While the driver was confused and in a state of shock, they weren’t suffering any serious injuries. Smith stayed with them until law enforcement arrived on the scene.
Smith has been added to the list of U.S. Highway Angels. His heroic actions serve to inspire others to extend the same type of support, empathy, selflessness, and kindness that Smith did on that rainy September night.
