Self-employed truck driver Niclas Nordström found himself stranded by snow on Sweden’s E22 motorway for a staggering 20 hours on Wednesday and Thursday, describing the conditions as the worst he has faced in his 30 years of driving.
Since the 1990s, Nordström has operated his own road freight business. He made the mistake of assuming that the traffic jam had been cleared when he took the E22 on Wednesday, only to find himself halted with approximately 1,000 other drivers near Linderöd around 1:45 PM.
“I thought the police would have rerouted traffic before I arrived, but I didn’t think it through,” said the 58-year-old. “If there had been more decisive action, we wouldn’t have faced such lengthy delays.”
A blizzard left around 1,000 vehicles stuck on the E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad, prompting the Armed Forces to assist with evacuations and provide food and water to those trapped in their cars.
Due to the limited space in his truck, which lacks a sleeping area, Nordström had to sleep upright at the wheel. He was fortunate compared to those in passenger vehicles, yet he had neither food nor medicine during his ordeal, ultimately depending on others for assistance.
“I met a Dutch couple who were kind enough to invite me for coffee and a sandwich when I told them I was extremely hungry,” Nordström recounted. He spent the night anxiously checking the website of the Swedish Transport Administration for updates on when the road would reopen.
After continuous delays, he finally escaped around 10 AM, thanks to a local farmer who cleared a narrow path through the snow. Venturing down the opposite lane with a Dutchman, they navigated their way back to safety, something they both agree wouldn’t have happened without their initiative. “I’ve never encountered weather like this in my career; it’s been decades since Skåne experienced such severe conditions,” he noted.
