JOHN CHRISTNER TRUCKING DRIVER EARNS HIGHWAY ANGEL WINGS FOR ASSITING A YOUNG WOMAN AFTER DEER STRIKE

01/27/2021
Alexandria, Virginia

The Truckload Carriers Association has named Bill Younger, from Sallisaw, Oklahoma, a Highway Angel for stopping to help a young woman after her vehicle struck a deer late at night.  

It was around 11 p.m. on November 20 and Younger was driving along the Indian Nation Turnpike, south of Henryetta, Oklahoma, when a young woman passed him. “The next thing I knew, a deer came up an embankment right in front of her and she hit it. She didn’t have a choice, it was so fast, and there was nowhere to go,” he shared with TCA. Without a moment to spare, Younger safely pulled over, grabbed a flashlight, and got hopped out of his cab. “It did a number (on her vehicle),” said Younger. “She was scared to death. I’ve never saw a car (end up) like this. It was all structural damage. She had a piece of plastic on the car, the structural cover, that went underneath the car. It was all ripped up,” he added. “She asked if she could drive it. I got in there and had to bust it all out from under the car. It was probably four to five feet wide and five or six feet long. The bumper was fastened to it.” Younger took the license plate off for her and then got under the car to check the radiator and hoses for leaks. “She started it up and it ran real good,” he said. He then did a safety check. “She had a lot of structural damage, but we tested everything to make sure she could safely drive it.” He then followed her about 40 miles to Henryetta. “She called me when she got to her destination safely.”     

A friend of the young woman’s later called Younger’s employer, John Christener Trucking, to commend Younger for everything he did to help that night and said he represented the company well.    

TCA has presented him with a certificate, patch, lapel pin, and truck decals. His employer has also received a certificate acknowledging their driver as a Highway Angel.

Since the program’s inception in August 1997, nearly 1,300 professional truck drivers have been recognized as Highway Angels for the exemplary kindness, courtesy, and courage they have displayed while on the job.

The program is made possible by Presenting Sponsor, EpicVue, and Supporting Sponsor, DriverFacts.