Trucker Named TCA Highway Angel for

Helping Extinguish Vehicle Fire

July 16th, 2025

ALEXANDRIA, VA—The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has named truck driver Flavio Ortega De Cespedes of Cutler Bay, Florida, a TCA Highway Angel for stopping to help extinguish a vehicle fire. De Cespedes drives for ABF Freight, out of Fort Smith, Arkansas.

It’s an incredible story: On June 24, 2025 around 2:20 p.m., De Cespedes was heading back to Miami from Big Pine Key on the Overseas Highway and came across a vehicle that was on fire near Bahia Honda Key. He pulled his truck to the side of the road, grabbed his fire extinguisher and ran over to the vehicle.

“I used my fire extinguisher to help kill the fire,” he said. “Then I helped control the traffic.”

De Cespedes and another driver who stopped and had an additional fire extinguisher were able to keep the flames under control until emergency personnel arrived and took over.

“I had to do something,” he said. “If there’s something I can do to help people, I do it.”

Since the TCA Highway Angel program’s inception in August 1997, nearly 1,500 professional truck drivers have been recognized as TCA Highway Angels for exemplary kindness, courtesy, and courage displayed while on the job. Thanks to the program’s presenting sponsor, EpicVue, and supporting sponsors, DriverFacts and Northland Insurance, TCA is able to showcase outstanding drivers like De Cespedes.

The TCA Highway Angels website can be accessed at https://www.truckload.org/highway-angel/.