The self-employed truck driver Niclas Nordström was stuck in snow on Sweden’s E22 motorway for 20 hours during Wednesday and Thursday, experiencing the worst weather of his 30-year career.
Nordström, who has operated his own road freight business since the 1990s, initially believed the blocked traffic would be cleared when he took the E22 on Wednesday. At around 1:45 PM, he realized he was mistaken when he, along with about 1,000 other drivers, came to a standstill near Linderöd.
“I thought the police would have redirected traffic since the jam had occurred earlier,” the 58-year-old told The Local. “But I didn’t give it much thought. Had there been better decision-making, the long queues could have been avoided.”
As blizzards swept across the region, up to 1,000 vehicles were left stranded between Hörby and Kristianstad. The Armed Forces were deployed to assist those trapped, providing food and water.
Nordström’s truck has only a day cab, which lacks a bed, forcing him to sleep upright in his seat. Although he found himself in a better position than those in passenger cars, he had no food or medicine as he was en route to Lund in Skåne and then home to Olofström.
He connected with various individuals during the ordeal, including a Dutch couple who offered him coffee and a sandwich when he expressed his hunger. He spent the night checking the Swedish Transport Administration’s website, where updates about the road reopening kept getting pushed back.
Ultimately, around 10 AM, the Dutchman and Nordström were assisted by a local farmer, who cleared a narrow path through the snow, enabling their escape. They drove against traffic to reach an accessible road, noting that their initiative was crucial in getting out of the predicament.
Having primarily driven in southern counties, Nordström encountered unprecedented snow conditions on Wednesday. “I’ve never experienced anything like this in my 30 years of driving. The last time Skåne saw such severe weather was back in 1979,” he remarked.
