The self-employed truck driver Niclas Nordström experienced intense snowfall that left him stranded for 20 hours on Sweden’s E22 motorway, which he described to The Local as the worst weather he has encountered in his 30-year career.
Since the 1990s, Nordström has operated his own road freight business. He initially thought that the blocked traffic on the E22 would have been resolved when he began his journey on Wednesday. However, he, along with around 1,000 other drivers, found himself halted near Linderöd at approximately 1:45 p.m.
The 58-year-old stated, “I assumed the police would have stopped the traffic and rerouted it, but I didn’t think it through. Had there been more quick thinking, this situation might not have arisen, and the queues would have been shorter.”
A fierce blizzard left up to 1,000 vehicles stranded on the E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad, prompting the Armed Forces to assist in evacuating individuals from their cars and supplying food and water to those trapped.
Although Nordström’s truck is equipped with a day cab, lacking a bed, he managed to sleep upright at the wheel, which was still a better position than those in regular cars. However, as he was en route from Lund in Skåne to his home in Olofström, he had no food or medicine in his truck and had to depend on the kindness of others for help.
He connected with a couple from Holland who provided assistance the following day when he expressed his hunger. They invited him to join them for coffee and a sandwich. During his ordeal, he spent the night checking the Swedish Transport Administration’s website about when the road might reopen, with opening times continually being pushed back.
Ultimately, around 10 a.m., the Dutchman received assistance from a local farmer, who cleared a three-meter-wide path through the snow, allowing them to leave the motorway. They drove against traffic down the opposite lane with their warning lights flashing until they reached a usable road.
“We both drove out through the opening. It wasn’t dangerous since there was no traffic. We wouldn’t have escaped without taking that initiative; otherwise, we’d still be there,” Nordström recounted. Having predominantly driven in the southern regions of Skåne and Blekinge, he remarked on the unprecedented nature of the snow conditions he faced on Wednesday, stating, “I’ve never experienced anything like this in my 30 years of driving. Such severe weather hasn’t hit Skåne since 1979.”
