Truck Driver Stranded for 20 Hours in Severe Snowstorm
Self-employed truck driver Niclas Nordström faced an extraordinary challenge after being trapped by snow on Sweden’s E22 motorway for 20 hours on Wednesday and Thursday. He described the conditions as the harshest he has experienced in his 30-year career, according to an interview with The Local.
Nordström, who has operated his own road freight company since the 1990s, mistakenly believed the traffic would be cleared when he took the E22. He and about 1,000 other drivers realized their error when traffic came to a halt near Linderöd around 1:45 PM on Wednesday.
“I thought the police would have already redirected traffic since the jam began some time ago,” the 58-year-old recounted. “I didn’t think things through enough. With a bit more quick thinking, we could have avoided such long delays.”
During the blizzard, up to 1,000 vehicles were stranded on the E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad. The Armed Forces were called in to assist with evacuations and provide food and water to those still stuck.
Nordström’s truck is equipped with only a day cab, meaning there’s no sleeping area, and he had to sleep upright at the wheel. However, he felt better off than those trapped in passenger cars. Although he was en route to Lund in Skåne before heading home to Olofström in Blekinge, he had no food or medicine and relied on others for help.
“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 said. Throughout the night, he monitored the Swedish Transport Administration’s website for updates on when the road would reopen, only to find times continually pushed back.
Eventually, around 10 AM, the Dutch couple received assistance from a local farmer who cleared a passage in the snow, allowing them to leave the motorway. They drove against traffic on the opposite lane with their warning lights flashing until they reached a clearer road.
“We drove out through the gap together. There was no traffic, so it wasn’t dangerous. If it weren’t for our initiative, we might still be stuck there,” Nordström explained. Having primarily driven in the southern counties of Skåne and Blekinge, he noted that such severe snow conditions were unprecedented for him. “In my 30 years of driving, I’ve never experienced anything like this. It’s been the worst weather in Skåne since 1979,” he concluded.
