The self-employed truck driver Niclas Nordström found himself stranded for 20 hours on Sweden’s E22 motorway during severe snow conditions on Wednesday and Thursday, which he described as the worst weather he has experienced in his 30-year career.
Nordström, who has owned his own road freight business since the 1990s, admitted that he mistakenly thought the blocked traffic would be cleared by the time he took the E22 on Wednesday. He and about 1,000 other drivers were halted around Linderöd at approximately 1:45 PM.
“The jam had actually formed well before my arrival, so I assumed police would have already redirected traffic,” the 58-year-old told The Local. “However, I didn’t think things through properly. If I had been more proactive, such long queues could have been avoided.”
Up to 1,000 vehicles were stuck on the E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad as a blizzard swept through the area, prompting the Armed Forces to assist with evacuating individuals from their cars and providing food and water to those remaining trapped.
Unlike many passengers, Nordström’s truck has a day cab without a bed, forcing him to sleep upright at the wheel. However, he felt he was in a slightly better position than those in smaller vehicles. On his way to Lund in Skåne, followed by a return to Olofström in Blekinge, Nordström found himself without food or medication and depended on the kindness of others.
“There were various people around. I became friends with a couple from Holland who helped me the next day. I mentioned I was very hungry, and they offered me coffee and a sandwich,” he said. During the night, he frequently checked the website of the Swedish Transport Administration for updates about when the road would reopen.
“But it just kept getting delayed. First it was set for 8 PM, then midnight, then 2 AM, and later pushed to 2 PM the next day,” he recalled. Ultimately, at around 10 AM, the Dutch couple received help from a local farmer who created a three-meter-wide path in the snow, allowing them to exit the motorway. They even drove against traffic on the opposite lane, using their warning lights until they found a navigable road.
“We both managed to drive out through the opening, the Dutchman and I. Although we were technically against traffic, there was none, so it wasn’t risky,” he explained. “Our initiative was what helped us escape; otherwise, we might still be stuck there.” According to Nordström, who usually operates in southern Skåne and Blekinge, he had never faced conditions like those encountered on Wednesday. “I’ve never seen anything like this in 30 years of driving. The last time Skåne faced such severe snow was back in 1979,” he remarked.
