Niclas Nordström, a self-employed truck driver, found himself trapped in snow for 20 hours on Sweden’s E22 motorway, facing what he described to The Local as the worst weather conditions of his 30-year career.
Nordström has operated his own road freight business since the 1990s. When he took the E22 on Wednesday, he mistakenly thought that the traffic blockade would have been cleared. He, along with around 1,000 other drivers, realized the severity of the situation when they were stuck around Linderöd around 1:45 PM.
“The traffic jam had been caused long before I arrived, so I incorrectly assumed the police would have redirected vehicles to alternative routes,” the 58-year-old recounted. “I wasn’t thinking clearly. If there had been more quick decision-making, the situation wouldn’t have escalated into such long lines.”
Up to 1,000 vehicles were stranded on the E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad as a blizzard struck the area. The Armed Forces were deployed to assist with evacuations and provide food and water to those stuck in their vehicles.
Nordström’s truck features a day cab, lacking a bed, forcing him to sleep upright at the wheel. However, he felt somewhat better off compared to those in passenger vehicles. As he was en route to Lund in Skåne and heading back home to Olofström in Blekinge, he found himself without food or medication, relying on assistance from others.
“I met various people there, including a Dutch couple who helped me the following day. I mentioned I was extremely hungry, and they kindly invited me in for coffee and a sandwich,” he said.
Throughout the night, he monitored the Swedish Transport Administration’s website to see when the road would reopen, only to find the estimates constantly pushed back. “It went from 8 PM to midnight, then to 2 AM, and finally 2 PM the next day,” he noted.
Eventually, around 10 AM, the Dutchman received assistance from a local farmer, who cleared a three-meter-wide path through the snow, allowing them both to exit the motorway. They drove down the opposite lane, waving their warning lights, until they reached a navigable road.
“We both exited through the opening, driving against traffic, but there was no danger as the road was empty. Our decision to take action was what saved us; otherwise, we might still be stuck there,” he explained. Having never experienced such severe snow conditions in southern Skåne and Blekinge, Nordström remarked, “I’ve never faced anything like this in my 30 years of driving. This kind of weather hasn’t occurred in Skåne since the major snowfall back in 1979.”
