We’ve got another reminder of just how dangerous over the road truck driving can be. This time it comes by way of the freezing temps of Alaska and a driver that’s lucky to be alive.
A semi truck driver drove his truck off the side of the Seward Highway and ended up in the freezing waters of the northern coast of the Gulf of Alaska on September 4, according to the Anchorage Daily News. When authorities arrived, that’s when they found the driver still inside of the truck cab in the water:
Girdwood Fire and Rescue crews arriving on scene found the driver still in the cab and, using a rescue throwbag, pulled him from the truck and to shore, according to an update Wednesday. The Girdwood crew described poor driving visibility in the area, with wind and horizontal rain.
The truck went off the road in an area where the guardrail had been removed due to an ongoing highway construction project, according to the update.
According to a police spokesperson, the driver had lost control before the truck went into the water. It doesn’t seem as if there was any wrongdoing on behalf of the driver that led to him losing control either. Driver Travis Corgan was pulled from the truck with just minor injuries and his family says he’s now resting at home. Authorities and a local towing company went back to retrieve the truck from the water late in the afternoon on September 5. Girdwood Fire and Rescue Chief Michelle Weston commended Corgan for his driving skills, saying “It could have gone a totally different way” and that it was amazing that the truck was able to stay upright.
Over the road trucking in icy situations is already dangerous. It’s worse when you learn many of these drivers are out on the road risking their lives for low pay. Many are even saddled with debt that they can’t get rid of until they repay their respective companies for their training.