Severe Blizzard Strands Truck Driver for 20 Hours
Niclas Nordström, a self-employed truck driver, found himself stuck in snow on Sweden’s E22 motorway for an exhausting 20 hours due to the most severe weather he has experienced in his 30-year career, as he recounted to The Local.
Having operated his own road freight business since the 1990s, Nordström mistakenly thought that the traffic congestion would be resolved by the time he joined the E22 on Wednesday. He came to realize his error along with around 1,000 other drivers when he ground to a halt near Linderöd at approximately 1:45 PM.
“I assumed the police would have already diverted traffic away from the jam created long before,” the 58-year-old driver stated. “I didn’t really think it through; a bit more quick thinking could have avoided this situation and the long queues.”
As a blizzard pummeled the region, nearly 1,000 vehicles were trapped on the E22 road between Hörby and Kristianstad, prompting the Armed Forces to assist with evacuations and deliver essentials like food and water to those stranded.
Nordström’s truck features a day cab without a bed, forcing him to sleep upright at the wheel. Despite the discomfort, he felt luckier than those in passenger cars. However, he lacked food and medicine, relying on the generosity of others for assistance. “I met a couple from Holland who offered me coffee and a sandwich after I expressed my hunger,” he shared.
Throughout the night, he monitored updates on the Swedish Transport Administration’s website regarding when the road would reopen. “The estimated time kept being pushed back—first 8 PM, then midnight, 2 AM, and finally 2 PM the next day,” he explained.
Ultimately, around 10 AM, the Dutch traveler found assistance from a local farmer, creating a three-meter-wide opening in the snow, allowing both to escape the motorway. They then drove against the flow of traffic with their warning lights until they reached a cleared road. “Thanks to our initiative, we managed to get out; otherwise, we’d still be stuck there.” Nordström asserted he had never faced such dire snow conditions in his driving career, noting that it had been since 1979 since Skåne experienced such severe weather.
