Self-employed truck driver Niclas Nordström found himself stranded by snow for 20 hours on Sweden’s E22 motorway during the worst weather conditions he’s faced in his 30-year career.
Operating his own road freight business since the 1990s, Nordström expected the traffic jam to have been resolved when he took the E22 on Wednesday. However, he soon realized his mistake, along with approximately 1,000 other drivers, when he became stuck near Linderöd around 1:45 PM.
“The cause of the jam had occurred quite some time before, so I figured the police would have redirected traffic onto alternative routes,” the 58-year-old shared with The Local. “I didn’t give it much thought. If there had been a bit more quick thinking, this situation wouldn’t have escalated into such long queues.”
Up to 1,000 vehicles were trapped on the E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad as a blizzard pummeled the region. The Armed Forces were dispatched to assist in evacuating individuals from their cars and providing food and water to those still stuck.
Nordström’s truck is equipped with just a day cab, which lacks a bed, forcing him to sleep upright at the wheel. However, he felt he was in a better situation than those in passenger vehicles. On his way to Lund in Skåne and then home to Olofström in Blekinge County, he found himself without food or medicine, relying on others for assistance.
While stranded, he made friends with a couple from Holland who helped him the next day. “I was starving, and they invited me in for coffee and a sandwich,” he recounted. Throughout the night, he monitored the Swedish Transport Administration’s website for updates on when the road might reopen.
“Each time it was rescheduled. First it was 8 PM, then midnight, then 2 AM, and finally it was postponed to 2 PM the next day,” he said. Eventually, at around 10 AM, the Dutchman received help from a local farmer, who cleared a three-meter-wide path in the snow, allowing them to exit the motorway. They drove against traffic for safety, making it onto a clear road thanks to their own initiative.
Nordström, who primarily operates in southern Skåne and Blekinge, stated he had never experienced such severe conditions before. “I’ve never faced anything like this in 30 years of driving. It’s been decades since Skåne saw weather this terrible, like in 1979 when the entire region was buried in snow.”
