The self-employed truck driver Niclas Nordström found himself stranded for 20 hours on Sweden’s E22 motorway due to heavy snowfall, which he described to The Local as the worst weather he has faced in his 30-year career.
Nordström, who has been operating his own freight business since the 1990s, realized he had misjudged the situation when he encountered blocked traffic on the E22. Along with approximately 1,000 other drivers, he came to a standstill near Linderöd around 1:45 PM on Wednesday.
“I thought the traffic would have been managed earlier by the police and redirected,” the 58-year-old explained. “I didn’t think it through properly. A little more quick-thinking could have prevented the long delays.”
As a blizzard struck, nearly 1,000 vehicles were halted on the stretch of E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad. The Armed Forces were called to assist in evacuating stranded individuals and providing food and water to those still trapped.
Since Nordström’s truck features only a day cab without a sleeping area, he had to spend the night sitting upright at the wheel. However, he felt more fortunate than many passengers stuck in smaller vehicles. Traveling to Lund and then back to Olofström, he lacked food and medicine and had to depend on the kindness of others.
He connected with a Dutch couple who offered him coffee and a sandwich after he expressed his hunger. As he spent the night checking the Swedish Transport Administration’s website for updates, he noticed delays in reopening the road, with times continuously being pushed back—initially set for 8 PM, then midnight, and finally to 2 PM the following day.
Ultimately, around 10 AM, the Dutchman got assistance from a local farmer who created a path through the snow. The two then drove against traffic down the opposite lane with warning lights flashing until they reached a navigable road.
“We both managed to get out by taking initiative,” said Nordström, who typically drives through Skåne and Blekinge. He added that he had never experienced such severe weather conditions. “I’ve never faced anything like it in my 30 years; the last time Skåne saw this kind of snow was in 1979.”
