Finalists for Highway Angel selected

The Highway Angel program recognizes professional truck drivers for exemplary courtesy and courage shown on North American roadways.

Since 1997, the Truckload Carriers Association has selected more than 1,250 truckers as Highway Angel recipients.

“One of the most meaningful parts of this program is hearing directly from our members about the incredible things their drivers do when no one is watching,” said Zander Gambill, Truckload Carriers Association Vice President of membership outreach. “These finalists embody the courage and compassion that define our industry.”

The public is invited to vote for the 2025 Highway Angel of the Year.

Five finalists for this year were recently announced by TCA:

Deshown Moye: While delivering a load in Alabama, Moye came across a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 65. “I could hear the lady screaming,” Moye said. Moye stopped his truck, called 911 and rushed to the scene. A baby was sitting outside one vehicle, but was uninjured, as was the driver of an 18-wheeler. As Moye approached a car engulfed in smoke, he found an individual with critical injuries. “Her femur bone was sticking out of her leg with blood coming out,” Moye said. “I instantly grabbed the first piece of cloth I saw in the car. It was just a scary situation.” Moye spent nearly an hour with the woman before emergency personnel arrived. “It had to be the grace of God that lady was still alive.”

Amity Cataldo: In the early morning near Amarillo, Texas, Cataldo, a driver for Boyle Transportation, witnessed a truck overturn directly in front of her. Cataldo stopped her truck and turned on the hazard lights to warn approaching traffic. Cataldo approached the crashed vehicle to find the driver disoriented and bleeding. “The driver was out of the truck, but he was really confused,” she said. “He was really cut up – he was bleeding on his arms and his knuckles.” Cataldo stayed with the driver until emergency responders arrived. “What I did was what I would hope any other driver would do,” Cataldo said.

Kevin Olsen: A driver for Truline Corp., Olsen was driving behind a motorcyclist in Garden City, Utah, when the motorcyclist lost control and crashed on the roadway. “I came to a stop and went to assess the situation,” Olsen said. “He was having trouble breathing.” Olsen stayed with the victim until paramedics arrived, ensuring he was safe from traffic. Olsen also rides a motorcycle and felt like that could have happened to him. “I felt like it was my responsibility to make sure he was taken care of.”

Terry Walde: Stopped to aid after a hit-and-run in Saskatchewan, Canada. Walde, who drives for Searcy Trucking Ltd., came upon debris in the road and, upon stopping, realized it was a cyclist. “Another truck driver stopped and called 911 while I tended to the guy, to make sure he was still alive,” Walde said. Walde informed paramedics of the cyclist’s injuries, which included several broken bones, then helped direct traffic around the crash scene for several hours. “It’s the way I was taught,” Walde said. “We help each other.”

Heather Barkey: While approaching a Nussbaum Transportation terminal in Illinois, Barkey stopped to check on a driver involved in a rollover crash. “I stopped on the side of the road because no one had stopped,” Barkey wrote to Nussbaum, where she is also a driver. “The truck was smoking when I got there and you could smell fuel.” Barkey said she was able to break a window of the truck with her flashlight to help the driver exit. “I’m just glad he was OK,” Barkey wrote.

The field will be narrowed to a “Top 3” that will be honored during the 2026 TCA Annual Convention from Feb. 28 through March 3 in Orlando, Fla. LL