The Truckload Carriers Association has named three professional drivers as its 2025 Highway Angels of the Year, recognizing actions taken on the road that went far beyond normal job duties.
The annual Highway Angels program highlights moments where truck drivers step in during emergencies, often before first responders arrive. This year’s honorees were selected for decisions made in real time, under pressure, in situations where hesitation could have cost lives.
2025 Highway Angels of the Year
- Terry Walde, Searcy Trucking Ltd.
- Deshown Moye, Melton Truck Lines
- Heather Barkey, Nussbaum Transportation
Each driver encountered a different emergency. The common thread was immediate action.
Terry Walde Acts After a Hit and Run in Saskatchewan
Terry Walde, a veteran driver with more than 40 years behind the wheel, was traveling eastbound on Highway 1 in Saskatchewan on May 27, 2025. Debris covered the roadway. Traffic was still moving.
Moments later, Walde found a cyclist who had been struck by a semi truck in a hit-and-run crash.
Walde stopped. He checked the cyclist’s breathing. He stayed calm. He relayed injury details to emergency responders and then took on another role, directing traffic around the scene to prevent further harm.
He remained there for several hours.
Dashcam footage later provided by Searcy Trucking helped authorities identify and charge the driver responsible. Walde’s actions kept the cyclist alive long enough for help to arrive and ensured accountability followed.
Deshown Moye Responds to Major Crash on I-65
On April 28, 2025, Deshown Moye was driving through Alabama when he came upon the aftermath of a violent multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 65.
A small sedan had been forced underneath a tractor-trailer. The driver inside was trapped and critically injured. Smoke was visible.
Moye pulled over, checked for hazards, and called 911. He moved quickly but carefully.
With the woman’s consent, he relieved pressure from her seatbelt, stabilized her injuries, and stayed with her for nearly 45 minutes. He talked to her. He kept her conscious. He did not leave until emergency crews arrived.
His presence mattered.
Heather Barkey Pulls Driver From Overturned Truck
Late on June 18, 2025, Heather Barkey was nearing her terminal in Mount Vernon, Illinois, when she noticed a truck rolled over along the roadway.
No one else had stopped.
The vehicle was leaking fuel. Smoke was present. The driver was trapped.
Barkey pulled over, activated her hazard lights, and called 911. Using a flashlight she already had in her cab, she broke a window and helped the driver escape before conditions worsened.
She stayed on scene until law enforcement confirmed the driver was safe.
Recognition at TCA Annual Convention
All three drivers will be formally honored during the Awards Luncheon on Monday, March 2, held in conjunction with the TCA Annual Convention in Orlando.
Each honoree will receive:
- A complimentary EpicVue satellite TV package
- A 24-inch television
- DVR
- One year of DIRECTV programming
About the TCA Highway Angel Program
“Since its inception in 1997, TCA’s Highway Angel program has recognized nearly 1,500 professional truck drivers for exemplary kindness, courtesy, and courage displayed while on the job,” TCA said.
The program is sponsored by EpicVue, Northland Insurance, and DriverFacts.
Drivers can be nominated by fellow motorists, law enforcement, carriers, or members of the public.
To nominate a driver or learn more about the program, visit the TCA Highway Angel page here.
Source: The Trucker
