MC Carrier Driver Apprentice Recognized as TCA Highway Angel for Heroic Rescue

August 11th, 2026

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has named MC Carrier LLC driver apprentice Gabriel Popa a TCA Highway Angel for his extraordinary courage and selfless actions following a devastating crash in southern Idaho that saved the life of his mentor.

The incident occurred around 4 a.m. on Feb. 28, 2026, near Rogerson, Idaho, when an impaired driver crossed into the path of the commercial motor vehicle Popa was operating, causing a catastrophic head-on collision.

At the time of the crash, Popa’s mentor, Nahum Camacho, was off duty and asleep in the sleeper berth, taking his federally required 10-hour break. Popa was traveling southbound on U.S. 93 when he came around a curve and suddenly saw the oncoming vehicle in his lane.

“I started braking and I went to the left because I saw this person go toward my shoulder, so I tried to swerve to the left so I could avoid them,” Popa said.

Despite Popa’s efforts to avoid the vehicle, the two collided. The impact severely damaged both vehicles and left debris and equipment scattered throughout the truck. Popa said he immediately noticed smoke and the smell of burning oil.

Camacho, who had been thrown from the sleeper berth in the collision, was disoriented and unable to get out of the truck. Popa exited through his own door, assessed the scene and then returned to help his mentor.

“I was like, ‘Hey, you gotta get out,’ because I didn’t know if the truck was gonna catch on fire,” Popa said.

When Camacho could not escape on his own, Popa grabbed his hand and pulled him from the wreckage. Camacho was barefoot and without a shirt in the frigid early-morning conditions, so Popa helped carry him to a nearby vehicle where he could take shelter while they waited for emergency responders.

“My co-driver, when I put him in the car, I tried to grab him a blanket or something, because he didn’t have a shirt on. He was barefoot, and he was just shivering,” Popa said.

Although Popa was only beginning his trucking career at the time of the crash, he drew on his previous experience as a U.S. Marine, where he drove Class B trucks while stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

Asked why he immediately went back to help his mentor despite his own injuries and the dangerous condition of the wreckage, Popa put his actions simply.

“I was gonna do what I had to do whenever I was there trying to get my co-driver out,” he said.

Since the TCA Highway Angel program’s inception in 1997, nearly 1,500 professional truck drivers have been recognized as 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 spotlight outstanding drivers like Mr. Popa.

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