KISSIMMEE, Fla. – A driver for Challenger Motor Freight has received the 2017 Truckload Carriers Association’s Highway Angel of the Year Award.

John Weston, who has been driving for Challenger for almost a decade, was recognized for the award that celebrates truck drivers who display exemplary acts of kindness, courtesy, and courage on the job.

According to EpicVue’s CEO Lance Platt, who presented the award, Weston won the award for displaying two separate acts of kindness on the road in 2017.

The first, explained Platt, was when Weston spotted a passenger car in the ditch in cold weather. He promptly pulled over, ran to the car in the ditch and found a mother and her children. Weston pulled the family out of the vehicle and let them rest in his truck until emergency help arrived.

The second, and more recent heroic act was on October 27, 2017 when John finished a load and drove east on Highway 401 outside of Cambridge, Ont back to the yard. There, he spotted a tragic accident involving one transport truck slamming into the back of another transport truck.

Weston arrived at the accident before emergency crews. He pulled his truck over and went over to the trucks to figure out how he could help the drivers. He found the driver of one truck to be safe and uninjured. However, the driver of the other truck wasn’t as fortunate. He found the driver upside-down in his truck and couldn’t free him from the wreckage. Weston could only reach out to the driver’s head and the driver confirmed to Weston that he couldn’t feel anything. Despite this, Weston stayed with him and offered him comfort. He placed his hands on the head of the driver to reassure him that someone was with him at that time.

Unfortunately, the driver succumbed to his injuries and passed away. Weston was the last person to speak to him.

“He is the epitome of a beautiful stranger,” said Platt. “Weston is a true Highway Angel.”

Weston accepted the award at the TCA’s annual convention on March 26.

“I am humbled to be receiving this trophy,” he said. “I was very honored to be by a fellow driver in his moment of need. Hopefully it gave his family and friends comfort knowing someone was there at that time…thank you all very much.”