The Truckload Carriers Association has honored Peter Pearce, a truck driver for Flying J, Inc., as a Highway Angel for helping an accident victim get out of her overturned car.
On Feb. 9, 2010, Pearce was heading north on Highway 42 between Debolt and Grand Prairie in Alberta when a pickup truck passed him going close to the speed limit. As the driver switched back into her original lane, the vehicle slipped on a patch of black ice, careened backward into a ditch, flipped over three times, crashed through a fence and landed upside down in a field.
Both Pearce and another motorist stopped to help. While the other driver called emergency personnel, Pearce ran down the embankment and leapt over a crash barrier to reach the pickup. The vehicle's engine was still running, and the rear wheels were turning. The driver was in a state of panic, screaming for help.
Since both doors were too damaged to open, Pearce asked the woman to cover her face while he broke a window. He then reached in, turned off the ignition and extracted the driver. He moved her a few feet away and covered her with a travel blanket that the other motorist provided. The woman had a large gash on the back of her head, so Pearce retrieved a cushion from her car to help absorb the flow of blood. All three waited together for the next 20 minutes until paramedics arrived at the scene.
For his efforts, Pearce will receive a Highway Angel lapel pin, certificate, and patch. Flying J will also receive a certificate acknowledging that one of its drivers is a Highway Angel.
