Groendyke Driver Named TCA Highway Angel for Thwarting Suicide Attempt
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ALEXANDRIA, Va. (April 27, 2018) — Carl Cormier, a driver for Groendyke Transport, has been named a Truckload Carriers Association Highway Angel for a miraculous stop that saved a woman’s life.
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On April 30, 2017, Carl Cormier, a professional truck driver for Groendyke Transport, started his typical workday. He had departed Mississippi in the early-morning darkness and began to approach Mobile, Ala. As he was traveling at a safe speed down I-10, he could make out the faint shape of a person in the shadows running across the road several miles ahead. He assumed they were determined to make it across to the other side, but when the shadow got to the barrier in the median, it stopped and turned toward him.
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Carl was still approaching at a highway speed when the shadow started running. Confused, Carl attempted to avoid the moving figure by veering to the right to open the left lanes, but the figure, not fully in Carl’s headlights yet, continued to follow his movements, running back and forth in his lane. Carl, without assistance from the collision migration system, quickly braked to a complete stop and was finally able to see the figure clearly—a distressed woman.
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She was screaming belligerently at Carl. He couldn’t understand anything she was yelling, but she appeared furious that he had thwarted her suicide attempt. Carl knew that it was incredibly unsafe to stay stopped on the freeway in the dark, and a truck coming up behind almost hit him. Carl tried to drive around the woman, but she wouldn’t let him pass.
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At this moment, Carl noticed a man to the side of the road. He stepped out of the shadows and grabbed the woman by the arm. About 20 yards further he saw the woman walking on the shoulder towards a van on the shoulder further up the road. Carl remembers, “My only thought was that they must have been together and she had a breaking point. It scared me to death because I’ve never had anything like that happen to me.”
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It took several days for Carl to stop thinking about the incident. He says one of his main rules has always been to keep his eyes securely focused on the road, even when driving in his car. He says this is probably why he could spot the situation as early as he did and avoid a tragedy.
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“Even though I was able to avoid hitting the woman, it was still very scary because what if I killed that woman? That was the part that upset me,” says Carl. “It was by the grace of God that truck didn’t run into the back of me, and that I was able to stop safely and avoid killing that woman. Pay attention, always keep your eyes moving looking for something even if it’s not there. Seems like people pop up at the last minute especially on your right side and get frustrated with us, the truck drivers. But we are just doing our jobs and trying to stay safe.”
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Carl Cormier is the epitome of a Highway Angel. He is cautious and alert while driving and truly is the eyes and ears of the industry out on the road. TCA salutes Carl’s work ethic, attention to detail, and especially his skill that one morning that resulted in saving this woman’s life. TCA has presented Carl with a certificate, patch, lapel pin and truck decals. Groendyke Transport also received a certificate acknowledging Carl Cormier as a Highway Angel.
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Carl works out of Houston for Groendyke Transport, which operates 30 terminals nationwide and is one of the largest tank truck carriers in the nation.
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EpicVue sponsors TCA’s Highway Angel program. Since the program’s inception in August 1997, hundreds of drivers have been recognized as Highway Angels for the exemplary kindness, courtesy, and courage they have displayed while on the job.
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TCA is the only national trade association whose collective sole focus is the truckload segment of the motor carrier industry. The association represents dry van, refrigerated, flatbed, and intermodal container carriers operating in the 48 contiguous states, as well as Alaska, Mexico, and Canada. Representing operators of more than 200,000 trucks, which collectively produce annual revenue of more than $20 billion, TCA is an organization tailored to specific truckload carrier needs.
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About EpicVue
Salt Lake City-based EpicVue was formed by individuals with years of combined experience in the satellite and television industries. The company offers a TV viewing package specifically designed for commercial fleets. Used as a tool to assist with recruiting, retaining and improving driver quality of life, the EpicVue package brings more than 100 channels of DIRECTV programming, including premium channels such as HBO/Cinemax, SHOWTIME and the NFL Sunday Ticket, into the comfort of a driver’s sleeper for a monthly subscription fee and without any upfront hardware costs.
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About Groendyke Transport, Inc.:
Groendyke Transport, Inc. provides superior, dependable transportation services and bulk logistics solutions that consistently deliver value to leading companies that place a premium on safety and performance. Groendyke Transport is a privately held, family-owned company and a seven-time Heil Trophy winner for best overall safety record and program in the country.
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