What drives a person to act heroically in the face of tragedy? On this episode of Rollin' 18, we celebrate the unsung heroes of the trucking world with stories that highlight their incredible bravery and selflessness. Hear about Brian Biggs, a truck driver whose quick response to a devastating accident in Kirkwood, New York, earned him the prestigious Highway Angel award. His actions serve as a poignant reminder of the valor that often goes unnoticed on the open road. Additionally, I share a deeply personal experience from the 90s on California’s Highway 58, where I encountered a deaf woman in distress and how that moment underscored the vital role truck drivers play during emergencies.
As we journey through these compelling narratives, I also reaffirm my commitment to you, our loyal listeners, with a promise of consistency. I'm excited to outline our podcast schedule—episodes airing every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. While there might be occasional hiccups due to unforeseen circumstances like illness or particularly demanding workdays, I assure you that my dedication to this podcast only grows stronger, especially with retirement on the horizon. Your support means the world to me, so stay connected through our website and social media for the latest updates. Grab your coffee, settle in, and join us as we pay tribute to the remarkable heroes who keep our highways safe.
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Text me anytime with news, suggestions, and stories at (641) 990-5641. God bless, be safe, and keep it between the lines drivers.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Rolling 18 Podcast.
This 40-year veteran is herefor anyone wanting to stay up to
date in the trucking world.
Grab your coffee, hop on boardand let's get on down the road
with Walter Gadlin.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Hello drivers, I want to thank you guys for listening
to my podcast.
I want to thank you guys forlistening to my podcast.
You know today's an unusual day.
There's all kinds of storiesout there about freight and all
kinds of stories about differentthings, but I want to try to
acknowledge some folks out therethat really deserve the
acknowledgement.
Now, today we're going to talka little bit about Highway Angel
(00:40):
.
Highway Angel is anorganization that honors truck
drivers that do fantastic thingsto help other people.
Kirkwood, new York.
There was a driver by the nameof Brian Bigg and Biggs was
turning right to get on theon-ramp on exit one on
Interstate 81 South when henoticed a little girl coming up
(01:00):
out of the creek alone.
That doesn't scare you.
A little girl coming up out ofthe creek.
That was sad.
He knew something wasn't right,so he parked on the shoulder
and ran over.
That's when the father had comeup out of the ravine.
The father told Biggs his sonwas still in their crashed van,
which was in a very deep creekand was not able to be seen.
(01:21):
Biggs and another bystandercrawled down into the creek to
find the van on its side as aresult of a head-on impact into
a concrete wall.
Now Biggs maneuvered into thevan with 14-year-old boy, was at
and was talking to him alongwith other bystanders.
A New York State trooperarrived and climbed in the van
as well as to, you know, toassess the situation.
(01:43):
The boy claimed his shoulderhurt but that he was okay.
Now, as the paramedics werearriving at the scene, the boy
went into cardiac arrest andthen died.
So obviously there were someinternal injuries that nobody
knew about.
I don't know if anything couldhave been done probably not but
despite the extensive efforts torevive him he did not survive.
Biggs said I was glad I wasthere at least to try and help
(02:05):
him out, but it just wasn't good.
It was horrible.
Biggs said the victim's fatherhad fallen asleep while driving,
which caused the crash.
Now Biggs tried to keep updatedon the condition of the girl
and the father and believes thegirl is still hospitalized in
upstate New York, but the fatherhas been released.
Biggs said he is planning tomake a wooden cross to put up at
(02:25):
the scene of the accident inhonor of the deceased boy he
goes.
I've been here on the road for35 years and that's one of the
worst accident scenes I haveever seen.
I was just glad to be there atthat spot.
That young kid could havepassed away alone, and that's
true.
I mean, how often do we thinkabout things like that?
So anyway, the Highway Angelgave him an award.
(02:46):
They honored him for hisactions.
His company also, tsa TCA, haspresented him with certificate
patches, a lapel pin and truckdecals.
The company also received aletter acknowledging him as a
Highway Angel.
So that is kind of like areally big deal being a Highway
Angel, because you're in thereforever and your story will be
(03:08):
there forever as well.
There will probably be a lotmore information at the Highway
Angel site.
But how many times are we on theroad and we come across
situations like that?
There was a time I came acrossa situation and I believe it was
in the 90s.
I was on Highway 58 in betweenKramer Junction and Boron,
california.
It's about uh, kramer Junctionis about 40 miles east, I
(03:32):
believe, of Mojave, california,and about 45 miles west of
Barstow, california.
Before they put the new 58 fourlane through that area, because
it it right there at that scurve just east of boron,
california, it used to convergeinto two lanes one lane going
east, one lane going west, thenit would get quite a bit.
(03:54):
Uh, I would say about five orsix miles east of kramer's
junction, then it would convertback into a four line.
Well, they've gotten rid of allthat now.
They've converted that wholearea into four lane.
So it's four lane, but it's twolane east, two lane west.
Before that happened, at that Scurve there was a gal driving
easterly bound.
She had just left I believe itwas San Francisco.
(04:16):
She was heading home, she wasdeaf and she hit head on with a
one ton dually pickup truckpulling a very heavy trailer.
Now I can't remember for thelife of me who was at fault.
Somebody crossed the line.
They hit head-on.
I just got on scene, I got out.
She was still trapped insidethe driver's side.
(04:37):
She was the only one in thevehicle.
The van was, I believe it waslike a camper type van, but it
was a regular van with a highroof and it had like a stove,
refrigerator and all that stuffin it.
As I got in there I got in theback because I knew I couldn't
get her out.
Her legs were literally crushedin the front, had to wait for a
fire department to get there.
I knew the first thing I had todo was put her in traction.
Her head was just leaning tothe left.
(04:59):
It was all over the place.
She no airbags, nothing likethat in this vehicle.
I didn't even know she was deafuntil I put her in traction, put
my hands up there and I startedtalking.
Now, as you can hear my voice,it is very deep and as I speak I
can feel the vibration throughmy body, even to the tips of my
(05:19):
fingertips.
In some cases I can feel myvoice.
So when I started talking sheimmediately sprung up.
I mean, she felt me touch herand everything.
But when I started talking Icould tell that she was
listening.
I don't know how to put it anyother way.
I knew she was listening, butshe would moan and groan because
here she is in an accident.
She's in severe pain and I puther head in traction to keep her
(05:42):
from moving her neck so shewouldn't break her back or her
neck if it wasn't already broken.
But I made sure I held her intraction as she was moaning, as
I would speak and try and calmher down.
She would try to speak, but shewould also stop and listen with
the feeling in the side of herhead or, you know, through my
fingertips.
(06:02):
It was an extremely oddsituation but it was, it was.
It wasn't scary, it was morelike it was a I don't know.
I just felt this calmness aboutit.
She felt the calmness.
I could tell she was in shock.
She probably was more scaredthan what she was in pain.
I'm pretty sure the the amountof damage that she had in her
lower extremities.
I'm pretty sure that she was inshock enough to where she
(06:25):
couldn't feel all that.
Anyway, to make a long storyshort, the fire department got
there.
They extricated I could neversay that word, good, extricate,
extricate, excricated.
Anyway, yeah, I'm a truckdriver they got her out of there
and I held traction until theygot a brace and, you know, a
neck collar and all that stuffput on.
They put a bunch of IVs in.
(06:45):
They knew she was in criticalcondition.
Well, last I heard she hadpassed away on her flight to the
hospital.
So that was a very sadsituation but that was probably
the most traumatic situationthat I ever dealt with in my
life.
But after hearing her try tospeak and knowing the sound that
comes out of a person's mouththat's been deaf their whole
(07:06):
life, I had learned real quicklythat she was deaf and as I
spoke she would calm down.
And she would calm down.
And maybe that's why God put methere.
I don't know because of myvoice, because of the way the
vibration goes to my fingertips.
You know that was.
Her only way of communicatingwas to either, I imagine, read
lips, which she couldn't do anyof that because she had glass in
(07:27):
her eyes.
She couldn't see.
Here she was deaf.
Oh my God, what a scary, scarysituation.
But I tried to remain calm.
I said calm things and everytime I spoke it seems like, from
what I can remember, that shewould just freeze and start
listening, and I think thatreally helped her calm down, not
to mention the fact that shewas probably going into shock
(07:48):
and going to pass out.
You know, it's just one ofthose things when death comes at
you, your body starts to losecontrol and you just start to go
to sleep, and that's the sadpart about it.
But that was the most traumaticexperience I've ever felt.
I can only imagine what Biggsfelt like when he was down there
with that boy and all of asudden that boy goes into
cardiac arrest and theparamedics do whatever they can
(08:11):
for him and then he finds outthey lost him.
You know that's a horriblesituation.
That really is, and it affectsall of us.
But just remember out there,guys and gals, you're out there
and when you come across asituation like that, these
people are going to be in shock.
You know from everything thatI've witnessed on the accident
scenes that I've come across,just stay calm.
Just stay calm.
I know you want to do your bestand you can do your best.
(08:33):
You can be a big, huge help.
We know we can.
I mean, there's a lot ofstressful situations in our
trucking career that prepares usfor a scene like this.
So I think we can all do apretty good job of helping other
people and I thank God forpeople like Brian Biggs and all
of you folks out there that arewilling to do the right thing.
Okay, somebody just handed me apiece of paper to let me know
(08:57):
that Brian Biggs did not workfor TCA.
I don't know who he worked for.
The story didn't say I thoughthe worked for TCA and he was
recognized by Highway Angel.
Well, highway Angel actuallybelongs to Truckload Carriers
Association, tca, and that's whohe was recognized by.
So I have no idea.
(09:18):
I guess the story didn'tmention who he worked for, which
is kind of sad because I'd liketo give them recognition as
well, but that particular storydid not mention he may be an
owner operator too.
You know, give me the broker'sname, I'll recognize them.
But anyway, TCA Highway Angelhas a Facebook page and it is
basically just searchingFacebook TCA Highway Angel all
(09:41):
one word and you will find theirrecognition of many, many, many
drivers.
They posted April 26th, whichhas ABF Freight's Leslie Ligon,
named a TSA Highway Angel fordiscovering and coming to the
aid of an elderly couple aftertheir car crashed in 22-degree
weather in the middle of thenight.
(10:02):
So there you go, go to TCAHighway Angel at Facebook.
You can find out where theirwebsite is.
If you want to donate, you cando that.
They even have a phone number.
They have oh, it looks likehere an email address.
I'm trying to see.
Oh yeah, wwwhighwayangelorg.
So they do have a website.
Yeah, it's kind of cool.
(10:23):
You know this first timehearing about it.
I don't know why They've beenin conception since 90.
You know, I may have heardabout it before, but maybe it
was under circumstances Icouldn't write it down or just
totally spaced it off.
Who knows this day and age, whoknows?
Break one nine.
This is Rollin' 18 Podcast.
We're switching gears Now.
(10:43):
I want to thank you folks forlistening to Rollin' 18 Podcast.
Check out all the links downbelow and follow me, if you can.
You know I'm not out to makethis some huge thing.
I just really enjoy tellingstories and enjoy putting out
these podcasts on Monday,wednesdays and Fridays.
Now, like I said before,sometimes a podcast cannot be
made, either because I catch acold or because I get sick, or
(11:06):
because something happens atwork and I have to go work.
A 20-hour day.
It just ain't going to happen.
So if a podcast doesn't show up, please be patient Until I
retire next year or maybe theyear after.
This is the way it's going tohave to be, but I am going to
try and stick with all my heart.
Monday, wednesday and Friday.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
As always drivers, god bless, be safe and keep it
between the lines.
Thank you for listening toRoland 18 Podcast.
Please visit Walter's podcastsite at Roland18Podcastcom or
his social media sites such asInstagram, facebook and TikTok.
All links are in thedescription.
Welcome to Rolling 18 Podcast.
This 40-year veteran is herefor anyone wanting to stay up to
date in the trucking world.
Grab your coffee, hop on boardand let's get on down the road
with Walter Gadlin.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Hello drivers, I want to thank you guys for listening
to my podcast.
I want to thank you guys forlistening to my podcast.
You know today's an unusual day.
There's all kinds of storiesout there about freight and all
kinds of stories about differentthings, but I want to try to
acknowledge some folks out therethat really deserve the
acknowledgement.
Now, today we're going to talka little bit about Highway Angel
(00:40):
.
Highway Angel is anorganization that honors truck
drivers that do fantastic thingsto help other people.
Kirkwood, new York.
There was a driver by the nameof Brian Bigg and Biggs was
turning right to get on theon-ramp on exit one on
Interstate 81 South when henoticed a little girl coming up
(01:00):
out of the creek alone.
That doesn't scare you.
A little girl coming up out ofthe creek.
That was sad.
He knew something wasn't right,so he parked on the shoulder
and ran over.
That's when the father had comeup out of the ravine.
The father told Biggs his sonwas still in their crashed van,
which was in a very deep creekand was not able to be seen.
(01:21):
Biggs and another bystandercrawled down into the creek to
find the van on its side as aresult of a head-on impact into
a concrete wall.
Now Biggs maneuvered into thevan with 14-year-old boy, was at
and was talking to him alongwith other bystanders.
A New York State trooperarrived and climbed in the van
as well as to, you know, toassess the situation.
(01:43):
The boy claimed his shoulderhurt but that he was okay.
Now, as the paramedics werearriving at the scene, the boy
went into cardiac arrest andthen died.
So obviously there were someinternal injuries that nobody
knew about.
I don't know if anything couldhave been done probably not but
despite the extensive efforts torevive him he did not survive.
Biggs said I was glad I wasthere at least to try and help
(02:05):
him out, but it just wasn't good.
It was horrible.
Biggs said the victim's fatherhad fallen asleep while driving,
which caused the crash.
Now Biggs tried to keep updatedon the condition of the girl
and the father and believes thegirl is still hospitalized in
upstate New York, but the fatherhas been released.
Biggs said he is planning tomake a wooden cross to put up at
(02:25):
the scene of the accident inhonor of the deceased boy he
goes.
I've been here on the road for35 years and that's one of the
worst accident scenes I haveever seen.
I was just glad to be there atthat spot.
That young kid could havepassed away alone, and that's
true.
I mean, how often do we thinkabout things like that?
So anyway, the Highway Angelgave him an award.
(02:46):
They honored him for hisactions.
His company also, tsa TCA, haspresented him with certificate
patches, a lapel pin and truckdecals.
The company also received aletter acknowledging him as a
Highway Angel.
So that is kind of like areally big deal being a Highway
Angel, because you're in thereforever and your story will be
(03:08):
there forever as well.
There will probably be a lotmore information at the Highway
Angel site.
But how many times are we on theroad and we come across
situations like that?
There was a time I came acrossa situation and I believe it was
in the 90s.
I was on Highway 58 in betweenKramer Junction and Boron,
california.
It's about uh, kramer Junctionis about 40 miles east, I
(03:32):
believe, of Mojave, california,and about 45 miles west of
Barstow, california.
Before they put the new 58 fourlane through that area, because
it it right there at that scurve just east of boron,
california, it used to convergeinto two lanes one lane going
east, one lane going west, thenit would get quite a bit.
(03:54):
Uh, I would say about five orsix miles east of kramer's
junction, then it would convertback into a four line.
Well, they've gotten rid of allthat now.
They've converted that wholearea into four lane.
So it's four lane, but it's twolane east, two lane west.
Before that happened, at that Scurve there was a gal driving
easterly bound.
She had just left I believe itwas San Francisco.
(04:16):
She was heading home, she wasdeaf and she hit head on with a
one ton dually pickup truckpulling a very heavy trailer.
Now I can't remember for thelife of me who was at fault.
Somebody crossed the line.
They hit head-on.
I just got on scene, I got out.
She was still trapped insidethe driver's side.
(04:37):
She was the only one in thevehicle.
The van was, I believe it waslike a camper type van, but it
was a regular van with a highroof and it had like a stove,
refrigerator and all that stuffin it.
As I got in there I got in theback because I knew I couldn't
get her out.
Her legs were literally crushedin the front, had to wait for a
fire department to get there.
I knew the first thing I had todo was put her in traction.
Her head was just leaning tothe left.
(04:59):
It was all over the place.
She no airbags, nothing likethat in this vehicle.
I didn't even know she was deafuntil I put her in traction, put
my hands up there and I startedtalking.
Now, as you can hear my voice,it is very deep and as I speak I
can feel the vibration throughmy body, even to the tips of my
(05:19):
fingertips.
In some cases I can feel myvoice.
So when I started talking sheimmediately sprung up.
I mean, she felt me touch herand everything.
But when I started talking Icould tell that she was
listening.
I don't know how to put it anyother way.
I knew she was listening, butshe would moan and groan because
here she is in an accident.
She's in severe pain and I puther head in traction to keep her
(05:42):
from moving her neck so shewouldn't break her back or her
neck if it wasn't already broken.
But I made sure I held her intraction as she was moaning, as
I would speak and try and calmher down.
She would try to speak, but shewould also stop and listen with
the feeling in the side of herhead or, you know, through my
fingertips.
(06:02):
It was an extremely oddsituation but it was, it was.
It wasn't scary, it was morelike it was a I don't know.
I just felt this calmness aboutit.
She felt the calmness.
I could tell she was in shock.
She probably was more scaredthan what she was in pain.
I'm pretty sure the the amountof damage that she had in her
lower extremities.
I'm pretty sure that she was inshock enough to where she
(06:25):
couldn't feel all that.
Anyway, to make a long storyshort, the fire department got
there.
They extricated I could neversay that word, good, extricate,
extricate, excricated.
Anyway, yeah, I'm a truckdriver they got her out of there
and I held traction until theygot a brace and, you know, a
neck collar and all that stuffput on.
They put a bunch of IVs in.
(06:45):
They knew she was in criticalcondition.
Well, last I heard she hadpassed away on her flight to the
hospital.
So that was a very sadsituation but that was probably
the most traumatic situationthat I ever dealt with in my
life.
But after hearing her try tospeak and knowing the sound that
comes out of a person's mouththat's been deaf their whole
(07:06):
life, I had learned real quicklythat she was deaf and as I
spoke she would calm down.
And she would calm down.
And maybe that's why God put methere.
I don't know because of myvoice, because of the way the
vibration goes to my fingertips.
You know that was.
Her only way of communicatingwas to either, I imagine, read
lips, which she couldn't do anyof that because she had glass in
(07:27):
her eyes.
She couldn't see.
Here she was deaf.
Oh my God, what a scary, scarysituation.
But I tried to remain calm.
I said calm things and everytime I spoke it seems like, from
what I can remember, that shewould just freeze and start
listening, and I think thatreally helped her calm down, not
to mention the fact that shewas probably going into shock
(07:48):
and going to pass out.
You know, it's just one ofthose things when death comes at
you, your body starts to losecontrol and you just start to go
to sleep, and that's the sadpart about it.
But that was the most traumaticexperience I've ever felt.
I can only imagine what Biggsfelt like when he was down there
with that boy and all of asudden that boy goes into
cardiac arrest and theparamedics do whatever they can
(08:11):
for him and then he finds outthey lost him.
You know that's a horriblesituation.
That really is, and it affectsall of us.
But just remember out there,guys and gals, you're out there
and when you come across asituation like that, these
people are going to be in shock.
You know from everything thatI've witnessed on the accident
scenes that I've come across,just stay calm.
Just stay calm.
I know you want to do your bestand you can do your best.
(08:33):
You can be a big, huge help.
We know we can.
I mean, there's a lot ofstressful situations in our
trucking career that prepares usfor a scene like this.
So I think we can all do apretty good job of helping other
people and I thank God forpeople like Brian Biggs and all
of you folks out there that arewilling to do the right thing.
Okay, somebody just handed me apiece of paper to let me know
(08:57):
that Brian Biggs did not workfor TCA.
I don't know who he worked for.
The story didn't say I thoughthe worked for TCA and he was
recognized by Highway Angel.
Well, highway Angel actuallybelongs to Truckload Carriers
Association, tca, and that's whohe was recognized by.
So I have no idea.
(09:18):
I guess the story didn'tmention who he worked for, which
is kind of sad because I'd liketo give them recognition as
well, but that particular storydid not mention he may be an
owner operator too.
You know, give me the broker'sname, I'll recognize them.
But anyway, TCA Highway Angelhas a Facebook page and it is
basically just searchingFacebook TCA Highway Angel all
(09:41):
one word and you will find theirrecognition of many, many, many
drivers.
They posted April 26th, whichhas ABF Freight's Leslie Ligon,
named a TSA Highway Angel fordiscovering and coming to the
aid of an elderly couple aftertheir car crashed in 22-degree
weather in the middle of thenight.
(10:02):
So there you go, go to TCAHighway Angel at Facebook.
You can find out where theirwebsite is.
If you want to donate, you cando that.
They even have a phone number.
They have oh, it looks likehere an email address.
I'm trying to see.
Oh yeah, wwwhighwayangelorg.
So they do have a website.
Yeah, it's kind of cool.
(10:23):
You know this first timehearing about it.
I don't know why They've beenin conception since 90.
You know, I may have heardabout it before, but maybe it
was under circumstances Icouldn't write it down or just
totally spaced it off.
Who knows this day and age, whoknows?
Break one nine.
This is Rollin' 18 Podcast.
We're switching gears Now.
(10:43):
I want to thank you folks forlistening to Rollin' 18 Podcast.
Check out all the links downbelow and follow me, if you can.
You know I'm not out to makethis some huge thing.
I just really enjoy tellingstories and enjoy putting out
these podcasts on Monday,wednesdays and Fridays.
Now, like I said before,sometimes a podcast cannot be
made, either because I catch acold or because I get sick, or
(11:06):
because something happens atwork and I have to go work.
A 20-hour day.
It just ain't going to happen.
So if a podcast doesn't show up, please be patient Until I
retire next year or maybe theyear after.
This is the way it's going tohave to be, but I am going to
try and stick with all my heart.
Monday, wednesday and Friday.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
As always drivers, god bless, be safe and keep it
between the lines.
Thank you for listening toRoland 18 Podcast.
Please visit Walter's podcastsite at Roland18Podcastcom or
his social media sites such asInstagram, facebook and TikTok.
All links are in thedescription.
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