BOWDEN - A Saskatchewan man has been recognized by a North American trucking association for his actions trying to free a fellow trucker trapped during a collision on Highway 2 near Bowden last fall, only to get trapped and injured himself.
“It’s an incredible story,” Truckload Carriers Association said in a press release naming Kingsley Ogieva -- who lives in Saskatoon and drives for XTL Transport Inc. out of Airdrie -- to its Highway Angel program last week.
The Virginia-based trade association’s program recognizes professional truck drivers for the exemplary courtesy and courage shown to others while on the job on North America’s roadways.
Ogieva was driving on Highway 2 near Bowden around 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 27, 2024 when he noticed a tractor trailer flipped on its side, blocking nearly the entire southbound lanes.
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“When I passed through, I saw that the driver was stuck in his truck and wasn’t able to come out,” Ogieva said. “I went to park safely up ahead and I went to assist.”
The driver was kicking at the windshield, unable to free himself from his truck, he said.
Ogieva said he and another bystander climbed onto the truck and began prying the windshield away to free the driver from the vehicle.
“We tried to look for how to break his windshield so he could come out,” Ogieva said. “While we were trying to get the windshield out, from nowhere we heard a big bang.”
RCMP said a Ford F350 pulling a cattle trailer struck the flipped semi causing injuries to the trapped semi driver, Ogieva, and the two occupants of the Ford.
Ogieva said his legs got pinned, trapping him.
“I was really in pain; I was screaming,” Ogieva said adding that while he was trapped he saw diesel fuel spilling onto the floor.
“I was screaming, telling everybody they should not smoke or come with anything that could trigger a fire,” he said.
Helpless, Ogieva waited for emergency responders. He said he was calmed by another trucker praying with him.
Eventually, emergency service personnel arrived on the scene and lifted the truck up so Ogieva could be extracted. Miraculously, he had no broken bones.
Police said were three head of cattle being transported, and one was declared deceased as a result of the crash.
Reflecting on the event, Ogieva said he would stop if it happened again, but would do some things differently.
“I would stop, and use my truck as a shield to make sure that oncoming traffic is aware of the situation in front before going to help,” he said. “That day, I saw another driver in distress and I knew he needed my help. If we were not there to help him, it could have been worse.”
For their willingness to assist, each Highway Angel recipient receives a certificate, patch, lapel pin and truck decals.
XTL Transport Inc. in Airdrie also received a certificate acknowledging its professional truck driver as a Highway Angel.
