The self-employed truck driver Niclas Nordström found himself stranded by snow on Sweden’s E22 motorway for a total of 20 hours on Wednesday and Thursday, describing the conditions as the worst he has faced in his 30-year career.
Since starting his own road freight business in the 1990s, Nordström had mistakenly believed that the traffic would be cleared when he took the E22 on Wednesday. He, along with about 1,000 other drivers, realized the severity of the situation when they encountered standstill traffic near Linderöd around 1:45 PM.
“I thought the police would have intervened earlier, stopping the traffic and redirecting it,” shared the 58-year-old. “I didn’t think it through enough—if there had been quicker decision-making, we wouldn’t have faced such lengthy queues.”
With up to 1,000 vehicles stranded on the E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad, a blizzard wreaked havoc across Sweden, prompting the Armed Forces to assist with evacuations and provide food and water to those stuck.
Nordström’s truck had a day cab, meaning there was no sleeping area, forcing him to sleep upright at the wheel. Fortunately, he was better off than many passengers in smaller cars. However, en route to Lund in Skåne and then home to Olofström in Blekinge, he lacked food and medicine, requiring assistance from others.
“I met a couple from Holland who helped me out the next day. I mentioned I was very hungry, and they kindly invited me for coffee and a sandwich,” he recounted.
Throughout the night, Nordström frequently checked the Swedish Transport Administration’s website for updates on when the road would reopen. “The estimates kept getting postponed—from 8 PM, to midnight, then 2 AM, and finally to 2 PM the next day,” he noted.
Ultimately, around 10 AM, the Dutchman sought help from a local farmer who cleared a three-meter-wide path in the snow. They drove down the opposite lane with their hazard lights flashing until they reached a drivable road. “We took the initiative to get out; otherwise, we might still be stuck,” Nordström added. He noted that he had never experienced such severe snow conditions in his 30 years of driving, recalling that Skåne hadn’t seen such weather since 1979.
