The self-employed truck driver Niclas Nordström was stuck in snow on Sweden’s E22 motorway for 20 hours on Wednesday and Thursday, describing it as the worst weather he has faced in his 30-year career.
Nordström, who has been operating his own road freight business since the 1990s, mistakenly believed that traffic would be cleared when he took the E22 on Wednesday. He, along with around 1,000 other drivers, realized the situation was dire when he came to a stop near Linderöd around 1:45 PM.
“I thought the police would have already redirected traffic since the cause of the jam had occurred much earlier,” the 58-year-old recounted to The Local. “In hindsight, I didn’t think it through properly. If there had been a bit more quick action, the long queues could have been avoided.”
As the blizzard raged on, approximately 1,000 vehicles were trapped on the E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad. The Armed Forces were called in to assist with evacuating stranded individuals and delivering food and water to those still stuck.
Nordström’s truck is equipped with a day cab, lacking a bed, which meant he had to sleep upright in the driver’s seat. However, he was in a slightly better position compared to those in regular passenger cars. On his way to Lund in Skåne and then home to Olofström in Blekinge county, he found himself without food or medicine in the truck and relied on the kindness of others.
“There were various people around. I befriended a couple from Holland who helped me the next day. When I mentioned I was really hungry, they graciously invited me in for coffee and a sandwich,” he said.
He spent the night monitoring the Swedish Transport Administration’s website for updates on when the road would reopen. “The expected time kept getting pushed back—first it was 8 PM, then midnight, then 2 AM, and finally 2 PM the next day,” he lamented.
Eventually, around 10 AM, the Dutchman received help from a local farmer who cleared a three-meter-wide path through the snow, allowing them to exit the motorway. They then drove against traffic down the opposite lane, using their hazard lights, until they reached a road that was clear.
“We drove out together, the Dutchman and I. Although we were going against traffic, it wasn’t dangerous since there were no other vehicles. Only because we took the initiative did we manage to escape. Otherwise, we’d still be stuck there.” Nordström noted that he has never experienced snow conditions like that before in southern Skåne. “I’ve been driving for 30 years and never faced anything like this. The weather hasn’t been this severe in Skåne since around 1979, when the region was completely snowed in.”
