A professional trucker who had a hand in saving a California abduction victim while driving through Tennessee – and recording key video evidence with his windshield camera – recently earned recognition as an “angel” of the US’s highways, according to officials.
Ron Ross, who drives for MCK Trucking in Madison, Alabama, is at the center of the dramatic story, which has seized attention in media circles dedicated to unearthing uplifting news stories.
He was parked at a rest area along Interstate 40 in rural west Tennessee near the city of Jackson in February when he noticed a young woman running barefoot with her shoes in her hand. She ran about a quarter of a mile and dived into the woods while a man chased after her, according to what Ross, of Newport, Tennessee, said in a US Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) news release.
“I thought in my head: ‘Something’s not right about that,’” Ross said. “It scared me.”
Ross dialed 911 to call for emergency help. A nearby Tennessee highway patrol arrived within five minutes, and the woman was rescued, the TCA said.
A camera on Ross’s windshield recorded video of the scene that he turned over to police. From speaking with law enforcement, Ross understood the kidnapped young woman had been brought from California, and investigators believed the video was “solid evidence to use in the prosecution of the abductor”, the TCA’s news release said.
“I asked another truck driver who was there: ‘Did I just save that girl’s life?’” read a statement from Ross cited in the press release. “I hope I did.”
The transportation safety director at MCK, David Wheeler, told the TCA that his company encourages its drivers “to say something if they see something”.
“MCK is grateful to have a driver like Ron who makes a difference in the world,” Wheeler said in a statement.
The TCA since 1997 has administered its so-called highway angels program that recognizes truck drivers who display kindness, courtesy and courage while on duty. Ross was designated a TCA highway angel at the end of June, according to the organization.
