Thomas Itczak, a truck driver from Aurora, Colorado and employed by ABF Freight out of Fort Smith Arkansas is recognized with the title ‘Highway Angel’ thanks to his heroic act. When witnessing an accident on the road involving a woman and her baby in danger, he quickly stopped to offer assistance that could have been life-saving. His quick thinking and courage make him deserving of this honor presented by The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA).
On February 7th, 2023 at around 1:20 in the afternoon, Itczak witnessed a shocking on a Grainfield, Kansas highway as an eastbound vehicle sped off of the roadway and across the median. Rather than stopping there though it kept going. The car crossed the lanes on the opposite side of the road before, becoming airborne along the way. It then continued past the shoulder and into the grass.
“It happened right in front of me — I thought somebody had a heart attack or something,” Itczak said.
He immediately pulled to the side of the road and rushed to the vehicle, which had been damaged in the accident. With the bumper was cracked and the wheels bent, it was a frightening scene to approach, and he had no idea what he would find.
“It was a young mother and a baby,” he said. “She lost control because the baby was crying — she turned around to comfort the baby.”
Itczak leapt into action, swiftly removing a distressed baby from the vehicle before ensuring their equally shaken and emotional mother could exit. He continued to console and comfort the mother as they waited for first responders to arrive on the scene.
“There’s no way I could’ve just kept going,” Itczak said. “I had to stop to make sure the driver wasn’t incapacitated and call 911.”
Source: Highway Angel
