A truck driver is being recognized as a Highway Angel after using his military medical training to save the life of another trucker following a violent crash in Arkansas.
According to the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), James Brown, a driver for Melton Truck Lines and a 12-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was traveling through heavy rain back in May when he saw another semi lose control, leave the roadway, and roll over about 40 miles east of Little Rock.
Brown immediately pulled his truck onto the shoulder and ran to help. After assisting the injured driver out of the overturned truck, he noticed a large piece of metal had become lodged in the man’s leg. Before Brown could warn him not to remove it, the driver pulled it free, causing severe bleeding from what Brown recognized as a severed artery.
Relying on the combat medical training he received during his time in the Marines, Brown acted fast. He cut a seat belt from the wrecked truck, fashioned it into a tourniquet, and tightened it around the driver’s leg to slow the blood loss until emergency crews arrived. Brown later said the injured trucker had already lost a significant amount of blood but remained conscious while first responders took over.
After helping save the driver’s life, Brown stayed at the scene for nearly two hours to provide statements to investigators before continuing on with his delivery.
For his quick thinking and selfless actions, the Truckload Carriers Association honored Brown with its Highway Angel award, a recognition presented to professional truck drivers who go above and beyond by showing courage, kindness, and compassion on the road. The program has recognized heroic truckers across North America since 1997.
Brown said he didn’t consider himself a hero—he simply did what he hopes someone would do for him or his family if they were ever in the same situation.
