Slight Detour – August/September 2023
There’s a lot to think about for a trucker on any given day. Juggling the work – along with watching the ever-ticking clock – can be tough for even a seasoned veteran.
To make matters worse, there is no real down time where you get a reprieve from the demanding grind. No, the fact is, a trucker’s work is never done. This edition of Slight Detour is a good reminder of this fact.
No time for a break
Ever heard the expression, “not all heroes wear capes?” It’s true. Sometimes they drive truck. One Florida man recently discovered this the hard way.
In a recent Facebook post, the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office shared the tale of a “mystery trucker” who stepped up to help apprehend a wanted man running from the police. Officials say the suspect began his futile attempt to flee after ditching a gun he was carrying.
In the accompanying video – that’s right, they posted the video in all its glory – the suspect is seen running from sheriff’s deputies. With one officer blocking his path, and his evitable fate closing in, the suspect made an attempt to put one last move on the deputies. That’s when Super Trucker stepped in to save the day.
With what officials called “the skills of a linebacker and the heart of a truck ‘stop,’” our hero is seen sprinting from the side of his truck to join the pursuit – tackling the suspect with excellent form. Seriously, dude wrapped up with two hands and everything. His work not done, Super Trucker held the suspect down until deputies could slap the cuffs on him.
“The (trucker) was just taking a break when the cavalry came through,” the sheriff’s office said in the post – which honestly is the most impressive part of this to me. “It was a ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ moment, but backwards.”
Officials say the suspect was charged with possession of a weapon with an altered serial number, resisting arrest, and tampering with evidence.
“We thank the driver for stepping in,” the department said, “although we don’t recommend engaging with fleeing suspects, just for your safety.”
I’m always baffled by how these morons think they can evade a team of trained officers. This guy was on foot too, in a large parking lot, with the officers both in cars and on foot. Just give up and avoid the charge. Of course, nobody is accusing this guy of being a genius, so there’s that.
The horse is out of the barn
For our next tale, we head north of the border. Residents of Quebec were recently treated to an impromptu rodeo in an unlikely location – the middle of the highway!
The incident occurred on Highway 40 in the Canadianprovince after a horse broke free from its transport container. After making his getaway, the horse began running in the fast lane of the highway.
Marco Lelievre, a trucker who was driving on the highway and saw the escaped equine, knew he had to help.
“I hesitated at first,” Lelievre told CTV News. “But I knew it was a dangerous situation, not just for the horse but for the drivers as well.”
Lelievre said he had to act quickly or risk the runaway steed – who was bleeding from a large wound on its left hind leg – possibly making its way to the other side of the highway into oncoming traffic.
As the driver approached the horse slowly, motorists were able to block its path, allowing Lelievre to get close enough to “trap the horse by hand.” The owner came to calm the steed down and treat its wounds. Fortunately, no motorists were injured in the chaos.
“I never thought I’d run and catch a horse on 40,” Lelievre said in a Facebook post.
Kudos to the driver for his quick thinking. I haven’t seen an update on the horse, but I hope he’s in “stable” condition.
Padding the trophy case
Our final story comes from the “who knew this existed” department.
Most know there are truck driving competitions and championships. But, did you know there are championship competitions for safety inspectors? If you did, seek help.
Nevertheless, congratulations are in order for Kris Hunzeker, a carrier enforcement investigator with the Nebraska State Patrol. The 19-year veteran of the NSP took first place honors at this year’s Nebraska Inspector Championships.
Apparently the competition is held annually alongside the Nebraska Truck Driving Championships. Now, I’ve admittedly never watched a single second of this competition and likely never will, but a description of the event sounds absolutely riveting (sarcasm heavily implied).
“During the competition, each participant goes through a table-top exercise, various hands-on inspections and a personal interview.” If that doesn’t get your blood pumping, I don’t know what will.
This isn’t the first accolade for Hunzeker, who had previously won the competition in 2017 and 2018. I’m sure he was rooting for the three-peat in 2019, but let’s face it – that’s just unheard of in the competitive inspection circuit.
The cherry on top, Hunzeker will now move on to represent Nebraska at the North American Inspector Championships in Columbus, Ohio, in August. You read that right – a national competition!
During the event, inspectors from across North America match wits and are tested in a series of timed events to demonstrate their knowledge of the North American Standard Inspection Program. I don’t know when the Pay-Per-View is available, but sign me up! LL