Truck driver named ‘Highway Angel’ for saving life of overdosing driver

ASHLAND, Va. (Gray News) – A truck driver from North Carolina has gained the title of “angel” for saving the life of a driver who was overdosing on the road.

Corey Parker was named a “Highway Angel” by the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) for his heroic efforts.

In a news release, the TCA said on the evening of June 21, Parker was driving near Ashland, Virginia, when he noticed a vehicle driving erratically on a busy highway, swerving from lane to lane.

“They smacked the barrier again, and then went out to the middle of the road and then in and smacked the barrier again,” Parker said. “I thought, something’s definitely going on.”

Parker followed the vehicle and was blasting his horn, trying to slow traffic and warn other drivers. He then used his truck to slow the car down and stop it against a barrier.

Parker said once the car slowed down to about 10-15 mph, he “knew it was time to get in front of them.” He wanted the driver to stop before innocent people got hurt.

“All I could think of was that car hitting kids or something,” Parker said.

Once the car was stopped, Parker jumped out of his truck and approached the driver’s door. He found the 32-year-old driver unconscious, and Parker noticed a Narcan pen in the driver’s lap, which is used to reverse the effects of a drug overdose.

A passenger in the car, a 28-year-old man, was also unconscious.

Moments later, police arrived. State police said the driver was checked out by EMS before refusing further medical treatment. The passenger was taken to the hospital and later released.

Parker said he knows firsthand how drugs can take over someone’s life, as he served six years in jail due to decisions he made while being addicted. He is now clean and owns his own trucking business, Triple S Transport in Kenansville, owns a home, and is married.

The driver who overdosed later contacted Parker to thank him for saving his life. Even more amazing, Parker is stepping in to help the man get clean.

“I’m in the process of helping him get into rehab,” Parker said.

Parker joins an elite group of nearly 1,300 professional truck drivers who have been recognized as Highway Angels by the TCA since the program’s inception in 1997.

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