John Graf Named TCA Highway Angel for Assisting Injured Motorist Following Serious Crash

July 29th, 2026

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has named John Graf, a professional driver with ABF Freight, a TCA Highway Angel for his quick response and compassionate care after witnessing a serious single-vehicle crash in North Carolina.

On the morning of July 15, 2026, Graf was traveling near Westwood, North Carolina, when he saw a motorist lose control of the vehicle, leave the roadway, strike a guardrail and crash head-on into a bridge support.

“It was a pretty brutal hit,” Graf recalled. “The speed limit was about 70 miles an hour there, and they hit it probably pretty close to full impact.”

Graf, who was about an eighth of a mile behind the vehicle and the only motorist immediately following it, pulled over and rushed to help. After discovering the driver’s side of the vehicle was pinned against the bridge barrier, he and another passerby climbed an embankment to reach the passenger side. When they found the doors locked, the other motorist retrieved a hammer to break a window while Graf called 911.

The driver was eventually able to climb out through the broken window with assistance from Graf and the other Good Samaritan. A third passerby, who identified himself as an EMT or paramedic, also stopped to help comfort the injured woman until emergency responders arrived.

Graf remained at the scene, providing reassurance and assistance until first responders took over.

Asked why he chose to stop rather than simply call 911 and continue on his route, Graf said his decision was an easy one.

“You just want somebody there for you,” he said. “She wasn’t in a good spot because she was tucked up behind the bridge embankment. You don’t know when the next car might have been. You’re just trying to help others as you’d want them to help you in a situation like that.”

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. Graf.

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