The self-employed truck driver Niclas Nordström found himself stranded by snow on Sweden’s E22 motorway for an exhausting 20 hours on Wednesday and Thursday, describing it as the worst weather he has faced in his 30-year career.
Having operated his own road freight business since the 1990s, Nordström said he assumed the traffic jam would have been resolved when he decided to travel on the E22. However, around 1,000 other drivers experienced the same mistake as they became stuck near Linderöd around 1:45 PM.
“The cause of the blockage had occurred earlier, so I mistakenly thought the police would have redirected traffic,” the 58-year-old shared. “I didn’t think it through properly. A bit more quick-thinking could have prevented such long delays.”
As a blizzard swept across the region, approximately 1,000 vehicles were immobilized on the E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad, leading to the dispatch of Armed Forces personnel to assist with evacuations and supply food and water to those trapped.
Nordström’s truck features a day cab without a sleeping area, forcing him to rest upright at the wheel. Despite this, he was in a better position than those in standard passenger vehicles. However, on his way to Lund in Skåne and then home to Olofström in Blekinge, he found himself without food or medicine and had to depend on the assistance of others.
“I met various people there, including a couple from Holland who offered me coffee and a sandwich after I expressed my hunger,” he recounted. Throughout the night, he monitored the Swedish Transport Administration’s website for updates on road conditions.
“The reopening time kept getting pushed back. Initially it was set for 8 PM, then midnight, followed by 2 AM, and later 2 PM the next day,” he explained.
Finally, around 10 AM, the Dutchman he met received help from a local farmer who cleared a three-meter wide path through the snow. With their vehicles, they navigated through the gap in the opposite lane, using warning lights until they reached a navigable road.
“We both exited through the opening, driving against traffic without any danger since there were no other vehicles. Our initiative was the reason we managed to escape; otherwise, we’d still be stuck there,” Nordström noted. He remarked that he has never faced snow conditions like this in his extensive driving experience and recalled that the last comparable weather in Skåne was in 1979.
