The self-employed truck driver Niclas Nordström experienced a harrowing 20 hours trapped in snow on Sweden’s E22 motorway on Wednesday and Thursday, describing the conditions as the worst in his 30-year career, according to The Local.
Nordström, who has operated his own freight business since the 1990s, mistakenly believed that the traffic would have been cleared before he entered the E22; he realized his error, alongside approximately 1,000 other drivers, when he came to a standstill near Linderöd around 1:45 PM.
“I thought the police would have already stopped the traffic and directed it elsewhere, as the traffic jam had started quite some time ago,” the 58-year-old explained. “But I didn’t think it through properly. If there had been quicker decision-making, we could have avoided this situation. The queues wouldn’t have been so long.”
Around 1,000 vehicles were stranded on the E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad due to a severe blizzard, prompting the Armed Forces to assist with evacuations and deliver food and water to those stuck.
Nordström’s truck is equipped with a day cab, meaning he had no bed and had to sleep upright at the wheel, but he fared better than those in passenger vehicles. He was en route to Lund in Skåne and then to his home in Olofström in Blekinge county without any supplies, relying on help from others.
“I met a kind couple from Holland who helped me the next day. I mentioned I was extremely hungry, and they kindly invited me in for coffee and a sandwich,” he shared.
He spent the night checking the Swedish Transport Administration’s website for updates on when the road would reopen, only to see the time continually pushed back—from 8 PM, to midnight, then to 2 AM, and finally to 2 PM the following day.
Eventually, around 10 AM, the Dutch couple received assistance from a local farmer who cleared a three-meter-wide path through the snow, allowing them to leave the motorway. Both drove against the flowing traffic, with their warning lights on, until they reached a clear road.
Nordström, who primarily drives in southern counties like Skåne and Blekinge, stated he had never faced conditions like this before. “In my 30 years of driving, I’ve never experienced anything like it. The last time Skåne faced such severe weather was back in 1979,” he said.
