Pull up for a stranger in need
April 8, 2025 by The Foundation For A Better Life
How the trucker community pulled off an impromptu maneuver that saved a man’s life
The road can be a lonely place. Perhaps that’s why truckers have created a set of unwritten rules, a code for the road, that most live by. They are a rare community, rolling along stretches of road that course the country, fighting through snow and rain and dark of night. It’s not a job you want to do alone. Luckily, they have established a community that looks after each other.
In 2018, on a stretch of freeway outside of Detroit, police received a call alerting them to a man attempting to take his life by jumping off an overpass on Interstate 696. Several law enforcement agencies and a negotiator rushed to the scene. At about 1 a.m., the freeway was blocked off, and police flagged down passing semis with an unusual plan. The tall trailers were positioned under the overpass to shorten the distance the man would fall if he did decide to jump. Thirteen trucks lined up to form a much safer platform as a landing zone.
We all have busy schedules to keep. And we all know what it’s like to feel a little hopeless in the face of great life challenges — but working through those dark times is always worth it. There are brighter days ahead. Sometimes we just need a little help seeing them.
The truckers stayed in place for several hours, until negotiators could help the man see his way through the dense clouds that had overtaken him. From where he stood, feeling alone and despondent, he saw below him a gathering of people who cared. He saw that they waited, refusing to leave until he was OK. Eventually, he backed away and was taken to a nearby hospital.
As for the truckers, the unsung heroes of the day, they did move on, a few hours late but knowing they had helped save a life.
Being anonymous suits the truckers just fine. Perhaps they realized that doing good and being good is more rewarding when we don’t shift the spotlight to ourselves. In our world of “me first” and “look at me!,” reconnecting with our fellow humans offers a more fulfilling way to feel good than shallow validation of the online world.
Real compassion comes from those who are there when you need them. They care about how you are doing, not just what you look like. They will pull up to catch your fall and wait for hours without saying a word, simply being there.
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Wow what an incredible story. This is truly a loving heroic story of saving a human being, without judgement.
What a well written poignant story. The last two paragraphs said so much about our society. Thank you for this great article.
this is the brotherhood and sisterhood we need, we celebrate. hold on, the light will come. keep on truckin' !
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