The self-employed truck driver, Niclas Nordström, was stranded in snow on Sweden’s E22 motorway for an exhausting 20 hours on Wednesday and Thursday. He described the weather conditions as the most severe he has experienced in his 30-year career, according to The Local.
Having operated his own road freight business since the 1990s, Nordström arrived on the E22 under the false impression that the traffic had been cleared. He soon realized his error, joining around 1,000 other drivers in a standstill near Linderöd around 1:45 PM.
“The traffic jam had been caused by an earlier incident, and I assumed the police would have redirected vehicles by then,” the 58-year-old stated. “I didn’t consider the situation thoroughly. If there had been more decisive action, the queues wouldn’t have been so extensive.”
During the blizzard, nearly 1,000 vehicles were trapped on the E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad, prompting the Armed Forces to assist in evacuating stranded motorists and delivering essential supplies like food and water.
Nordström’s truck is equipped with a day cab, which lacks a sleeping area, forcing him to sleep while seated at the wheel. Despite this, he felt luckier than those in smaller passenger cars. Heading toward Lund in Skåne and then to his home in Olofström, he found himself without food or medicine, relying on the kindness of others.
“I met a Dutch couple who helped me out the next day. I mentioned I was really hungry, and they kindly invited me for coffee and a sandwich,” he recounted. He spent the night checking the Swedish Transport Administration’s website for updates on when the road would reopen.
“Each time I checked, the reopening time kept being pushed back—from 8 PM to midnight, then to 2 AM, and finally to 2 PM the next day,” he explained. Eventually, around 10 AM, the Dutchman received assistance from a local farmer who cleared a three-meter-wide path through the snow. They then drove down the opposite lane, flashing their warning lights, until they found a clear road.
“We both exited through the opening, maneuvering against incoming traffic as there was none. Thanks to our initiative, we were able to escape; otherwise, we might still be there,” Nordström added. Primarily driving in the southern counties of Skåne and Blekinge, he noted that he had never faced snow conditions like those on Wednesday. “In my 30 years of driving, I’ve never seen anything like this. Skåne hasn’t experienced such severe weather since 1979 when it was buried in snow.”
