TCA Highway Angel of the Year

The Healthy Trucking Association of America would like to salute professional truck driver Michael Hunt, the 2009 TCA Highway Angel of the Year. The HTAA is proud to support the TCA (Truckload Carriers Association) Highway Angel program, which since its inception in 1997 has recognized hundreds of drivers for acts of heroism, kindness, courtesy, and courage they have shown others while on the job.
     The Truckload Carriers Association selected Michael Hunt as a Highway Angel for helping to save a life at the scene of an otherwise fatal accident. The incident took place on Oct. 12, 2008. Mr. Hunt was driving his tractor-trailer at approximately 2:20 a.m. when he came across a two-car collision that had just occurred on NC 24 near Spring Lake, North Carolina.
     Two vehicles were involved in the crash, and they had come to rest within five feet of each other. Mr. Hunt gallantly attempted to put out the flames that had engulfed one of the vehicles, but the blaze was too strong, and there was nothing anyone could have done to save the driver. But some quick thinking on Hunt’s part saved the second driver from the same fate, as Hunt drove his tractor-trailer into the flames and pushed the other vehicle away from the fire.
     According to the report written by Trooper J.E. Stahl of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, “When Mr. Hunt did this, it damaged his own vehicle. Mr. Hunt’s quick actions helped to save a life from serious injury or death from burns.” The NC State Highway Patrol later honored him with an award for valor.  When asked to tell the story of what he did, Mr. Hunt is always modest, downplaying his importance in saving a life that day.  He’ll tell you, “I’m glad I could help one of the drivers, but when I think about the other person who died—that’s tough for me.” 
     A driver for Mail Contract Carriers of Little Rock, Arkansas at the time of the incident, Mr. Hunt received a Highway Angel lapel pin, certificate, and patch for his efforts. Mail Contract Carriers also received a certificate acknowledging that a Highway Angel was a part of its team. Hunt was later selected as Highway Angel of the Year by a subcommittee of the TCA Communications & Image Policy Committee, which ranked his good deed against those of the other Angels named in 2009. The subcommittee utilized a scorecard of criteria, such as how many other motorists stopped to help, the degree of difficulty for the good deed performed, and information provided by highway officials and incident bystanders.
     The 2009 Highway Angel of the Year trophy was presented to Mr. Hunt at the Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl at Boise State University’s Bronco Stadium, in front of a crowd of 34,000 football fans and a nationwide television audience. This marked the second time that a Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) Highway Angel has been thus honored during this highly publicized, post-season, NCAA-sanctioned, Division I FBS college football game.
     The trophy was presented to Hunt in the end zone by TCA Chairman Kevin Burch, President Chris Burruss, and representatives from Roady’s Truck Stops, the Humanitarian Bowl, and Internet Truck Stop. “It was an honor to witness, as TCA’s chairman, Michael Hunt being named, ‘Highway Angel of the Year,’ said Kevin Burch, who is also the president of Jet Express, Inc., of Dayton, Ohio.  “It was especially gratifying to see his actions celebrated at a Bowl event, where he could be thanked by the public he serves.”
     As the authority on driver health and wellness the Healthy Trucking Association’s efforts to improve the health of the trucking industry fall into the category of Fleet Safety. Therefore, since the TCA Highway Angel program honors extraordinary personal accomplishments in Fleet Safety, as of 2010, the Healthy Trucking Association of America has agreed to take a very active and prominent role in the promotion of the TCA Highway Angel program.
     The TCA Highway Angel program will
be promoted through all HTAA publications, events and activities, including Driver HEALTH magazine, Wide Road Entertainment, the HTAA monthly newsletter, HTAA Health, Wellness and Safety Pavilions at GWTS and GATS, HTAA Healthy Trucking Brunches at MATS and GATS, all HTAA exhibits at industry events nationwide, HTAA Health Awareness Walks at MATS, GWTS and GATS, and the HTAA Web site. The HTAA is honored to work with the Truckload Carriers Association to support the TCA Highway Angel program.
     The Healthy Trucking Association of America would like to encourage all of our Driver Members, Fleet Members, Allied Members, sponsors and supporters to get behind the TCA Highway Angel program and lend your support to this very worthwhile award. To learn more about TCA’s Highway Angel program or to nominate a truck driver, please visit truckload.org/Highway-Angel.  For more information about the Humanitarian Bowl, please visit humanitarianbowl.org.

Photo caption:
The 2009 Highway Angel of the Year trophy was presented to Michael Hunt (third from right) at the Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl in December