Joann McNabb Named TCA Highway Angel for Helping Save Truck Driver Suffering Stroke

August 13th, 2026

ALEXANDRIA, Va. —

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has named Frito-Lay Transportation driver Joann McNabb a TCA Highway Angel for her quick thinking and courageous actions after recognizing that a fellow truck driver was experiencing a medical emergency on Interstate 94 in Michigan.

On Aug. 11, 2026, at approximately 1:02 p.m., McNabb was traveling on I-94 in Harper Woods, Michigan, when she noticed a semi-truck traveling erratically in heavy traffic.

The truck initially slowed significantly in the middle lane. When McNabb moved into the left lane to pass, the truck suddenly began drifting toward her lane. She sounded her horn, causing the truck to move back, but the driver soon began drifting again.

The driver crossed between lanes, moved onto the shoulder and then began drifting back across the highway. McNabb and another motorist repeatedly sounded their horns, but the driver did not appear to respond. That’s when McNabb realized something more serious could be happening.

“I thought maybe this was a medical emergency because I wasn’t getting his attention, and neither were other cars that were honking,” McNabb said.

McNabb turned on her four-way flashers and maintained a safe distance behind the truck while another motorist did the same. The two vehicles helped block lanes behind the semi as they followed, creating a buffer for other motorists as the truck continued along the shoulder. The truck eventually struck the concrete wall, sending debris across the roadway. Despite the collision, it continued moving along the shoulder for approximately another mile. McNabb was already on the phone with state police.

“I told them, ‘He’s already hit the wall,’” she said. “But he’s continuing to drive. I think something is seriously wrong.”

When the truck finally stopped, McNabb and the other motorist stopped their vehicles and ran to help. She found the driver slumped over behind the wheel. Because the driver’s side door was locked and the opposite side was against the wall, she pounded on the window and called out to him. Eventually, the driver regained enough awareness to open the window.

McNabb opened the door, climbed into the cab, pulled the truck’s air brakes and shut off the engine. The driver appeared confused and disoriented. McNabb noticed that his mouth was drooping and that he was drooling.

“I’m like, this guy had a stroke, or is having a stroke,” McNabb said.

She immediately alerted arriving police officers and firefighters to her concerns. Firefighters connected the driver to medical equipment and determined that he was experiencing an active stroke. An ambulance arrived and transported the driver to a hospital for emergency treatment. McNabb remained with the driver as emergency personnel prepared him for transport.

“I told him everything was going to be okay,” McNabb said. “At this point, he’s in good hands.”

The TCA Highway Angel program recognizes professional truck drivers who demonstrate extraordinary kindness, courtesy and courage while on the job. Since the program’s inception in 1997, nearly 1,500 professional drivers have been recognized for going above and beyond to help others.

Thanks to the program’s presenting sponsor, EpicVue, and supporting sponsors DriverFacts and Northland Insurance, TCA is able to recognize outstanding professional drivers like McNabb.

To learn more about the TCA Highway Angel program, visit www.truckload.org/highway-angel/.