The self-employed truck driver Niclas Nordström found himself stranded by snow for 20 hours on Sweden’s E22 motorway during a severe storm, which he described to The Local as the worst weather he has faced in his 30-year career.
Nordström, who has operated his own freight business since the 1990s, mistakenly believed the snow-blocked traffic would have been cleared before he took the E22 on Wednesday. He realized his error along with roughly 1,000 other drivers when he became stuck around Linderöd around 1:45 PM.
“The traffic jam was caused long before I arrived, so I assumed the police would have rerouted us,” the 58-year-old shared with The Local. “But I didn’t think things through. If there had been a bit more quick thinking, we could have avoided these long queues.”
Close to 1,000 vehicles were immobilized on the E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad as a blizzard struck the region. The Armed Forces were deployed to assist in evacuating stranded motorists and to deliver food and water to those still unable to move.
Unlike many, Nordström’s truck has only a day cab, which doesn’t have a bed, forcing him to sleep upright at the wheel. However, he acknowledged he was in a better position than those in passenger cars. Heading to Lund in Skåne and then back to Olofström in Blekinge county, he had no food or medication and relied on others for assistance.
“I met a couple from Holland who were very kind. I told them I was really hungry, and they invited me in for coffee and a sandwich,” he recounted. He spent the night monitoring the Swedish Transport Administration’s website, hoping for updates on when the road would reopen.
The estimated clearance times kept changing—initially set for 8 PM, then midnight, followed by 2 AM, and eventually pushed to 2 PM the next day. Ultimately, around 10 AM, the Dutchman received help from a local farmer who cleared a path wide enough for them to escape the motorway. They then drove against traffic for safety, flashing their lights until they reached a passable road.
“We both made it out through that opening by driving against the flow, but there was no other traffic, so it wasn’t dangerous,” Nordström explained. “If we hadn’t taken action ourselves, we’d still be stranded there.” He noted that he has never experienced snow conditions like this in his extensive driving career, adding that such bad weather hasn’t been seen in Skåne since 1979.
