A trucker has been awarded a TCA Highway Angels title after his quick thinking kept an SUV full of teenagers on a mission trip out of danger. And he did so immediately after their vehicle struck his truck.
It was May 23rd and Melton Truck Lines driver Justin Rockcastle was driving on I-70 near Thompson Springs, Utah. It was near freezing and the weather was a nasty mix of rain and hail.
From behind him, Rockcastle saw a white SUV coming up on his left side. Before it could pass him, the SUV started hydroplaning. It slammed into the truck’s drive tires, bounced up and back, did a 180-degree turn, and was thrown into the center median ditch where it rolled multiple times before coming to a stop.
Rockcastle was able to maintain control of his truck, pulled it over, and ran to help the people in the SUV.
When he got there, he saw that all of the doors had been ripped off of the SUV and the contents of the vehicle were strewn everywhere on the road and in the median by the force of the roll. Everyone in the vehicle had been wearing their seatbelts. Miraculously, only the driver was injured; the passengers were unharmed.
Rockcastle ran back to his truck and got a first-aid kit and a coat. He gave his coat to one of the boys and gave the first-aid kit to another boy who tended to the driver’s head wound. He also talked to them, keeping them calm, and learned that the SUV was one of four vehicles driving from Texas to California for a mission trip. All of the people in the crashed SUV were minors.
Rockcastle also noticed that the tires on the SUV were almost completely bald.
“They should never have been on the road,” he said according to the Truckload Carriers Association. “Safety is a major thing with me. There weren’t any adults along and those kids didn’t have enough experience. Prayers were definitely answered that day.”
Michael Patrick Galligan says
Great job . I’m a 61 year old just got my license and all the truckers help me if I need it . Mr Rockcastle is truly a hero. And God bless him .
Brad says
God works in mysterious ways! Thank GOD everything turned out allright.
sonny Pruitt says
So where’s the heroic part? He done what any normal person would do.
Yvette Goodlander says
Let’s pray there is a trucker on the road if you need help. You’ll meet your hero.
Joe2boltz says
That’s what I was thinkin
Joe2boltz says
Do it to it like sonny pruit used to do it to it.
Boy I bet not too many people remember that or who he was…
Kathy D Mills Mills says
Thank heaven for ANGEL TRUCKERS AND THE GOD LORD AS WELL.. . GREAT JOB.. 😇
Patrick Hinkle says
Great job
Ed bernett says
I am 66 year old retired driver since 1970 bac( on a double 40 dirt haul 6 nites a. Week 12 hrs shift its g[od to hear this news shows me people are still payin attention and not on cell phones some of them saw too much over the years stupid mistakes
Jason says
Why didn’t any of the other vehicles in their group stop? Oh, probably because a trip from Texas to California shouldn’t include any miles in Utah! In other words, the other vehicles were down on I-40 where they should’ve been.