The self-employed truck driver Niclas Nordström was stranded by snow on Sweden’s E22 motorway for 20 hours on Wednesday and Thursday, describing it as the worst weather he has faced in his 30-year career.
Nordström, who has been operating his own road freight business since the 1990s, initially believed the traffic would have cleared and set out on the E22 on Wednesday. He, along with approximately 1,000 other drivers, found himself stuck around Linderöd around 1:45 PM.
“I assumed the police had already diverted traffic since the jam had occurred some time before,” the 58-year-old told The Local. “But I didn’t think it through enough. With a bit more quick-thinking, this situation could have been avoided, and we wouldn’t have faced such long delays.”
As a blizzard hit the region, up to 1,000 vehicles became trapped on the E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad. The Armed Forces were mobilized to assist in evacuating individuals from their cars and providing food and water to those still stranded.
Nordström’s truck is equipped with a day cab, lacking a bed, forcing him to sleep sitting upright at the wheel. However, he felt in a better position than those stuck in passenger vehicles. On his way to Lund in Skåne and then home to Olofström in Blekinge, he had no food or medicine onboard, relying on the kindness of others.
“There were various people around, and I became friends with a couple from Holland who helped me the next day. I mentioned I was very hungry, and they invited me for coffee and a sandwich,” he shared.
Throughout the night, he constantly checked the Swedish Transport Administration’s website for updates on the road’s reopening. “The time kept getting pushed back: first it was 8 PM, then midnight, then 2 AM, and then 2 PM the next day.”
Ultimately, around 10 AM, the Dutchman received assistance from a local farmer who cleared a three-meter-wide path in the snow. They both then drove against traffic down the opposite lane, flashing their warning lights until they reached a drivable road.
“We drove out through the opening, both the Dutchman and I. It was against the traffic, but there was no danger since there were no other vehicles. We only managed to get out because we took the initiative. Otherwise, we could still be stuck there,” Nordström remarked, noting that he had never witnessed such severe snow conditions in southern Sweden. “I’ve never experienced anything like this in my 30 years of driving. The last time Skåne had weather this bad was back in 1979.”
