Truck Driver Stranded for 20 Hours in Severe Blizzard
Niclas Nordström, a self-employed truck driver, found himself trapped in snow on Sweden’s E22 motorway for a grueling 20 hours on Wednesday and Thursday. He described the weather conditions as the worst he has experienced in his 30-year career.
Having operated his own road freight business since the 1990s, Nordström had mistakenly assumed that the traffic congestion on the E22 would be resolved. Unfortunately, he was caught up in the traffic jam along with about 1,000 others near Linderöd at approximately 1:45 PM.
“The traffic jam had been caused some time ago, so I naively thought the police would have redirected vehicles onto alternative routes,” the 58-year-old shared. “Looking back, I realize I should have thought things through more carefully. A quicker response could have prevented such long delays.”
Due to the blizzard, up to 1,000 vehicles were left stranded on the E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad. The Armed Forces were deployed to assist in evacuating people from their cars and providing food and water to those trapped.
Nordström’s truck was equipped with only a day cab, which meant he lacked a bed and had to sleep upright at the wheel—yet he felt fortunate compared to those stuck in passenger vehicles. While en route to Lund in Skåne and then back home to Olofström in Blekinge, he found himself without food or medicine in the truck, relying on the kindness of others.
During his ordeal, he made friends with a couple from Holland who offered him coffee and a sandwich after he expressed his hunger. He spent the night glued to the Swedish Transport Administration’s website, anxiously checking for updates on when the road would reopen, only to see the estimates continuously pushed back.
Eventually, around 10 AM, the Dutch couple received assistance from a local farmer who cleared a path through the snow. Together, they drove against the traffic flow on the opposite lane, flashing their warning lights until they reached a clear road.
“We managed to leave through that opening. Technically, we were driving against traffic, but there was no risk since the highway was empty. Thanks to our initiative, we were able to escape. Otherwise, we might still be stuck there,” he said. Nordström noted that he has never encountered such extreme snow conditions in his three decades of driving, mentioning that the weather was reportedly the worst in Skåne since 1979.
