TCA’s 2023 Highway Angels are honored at organization’s Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.
Photo: TCA
Professional truck drivers Tony Blunnie of Knight Transportation, Dawna Jacobsen of Erb Transport, and Terry Reavis of Maverick Transportation have been named the 2023 TCA Highway Angels of the Year by the Truckload Carriers Association.
This is the first year TCA has recognized more than one Highway Angel of the Year. These professional drivers were announced and celebrated at a luncheon awards program during TCA’s annual convention in Nashville.
Here are TCA 2023 Highway Angels of the Year Remarkable Stories:
Tony Blunnie turned a dire situation into a tale of heroism on February 15, 2023. While training a driver on Interstate 20 in Jackson, Mississippi, he witnessed a crash that left a van in flames.
Blunnie instructed his trainee to pull over. He then grabbed his fire extinguisher and leapt into action, battling the fire and breaking the van windows to extract the female driver from the wreck with moments to spare before the vehicle was engulfed in flames.
Erb Transport’s Dawna Jacobson aided a snowmobiler who had been hit by a car while crossing a highway.
Photo: TCA
Dawna Jacobsen’s heroic story happened in December 2022, when she was driving along Highway 11 in Northern Ontario one evening. A group of friends had been attempting to cross the highway on snowmobiles but one hadn’t made it in time to avoid being struck by an oncoming vehicle.
Upon witnessing the snowmobile accident, Jacobsen immediately maneuvered her truck to shield the boy and signal to other drivers to avoid the scene, protecting him from further injury.
Terry Reavis, a driver for Maverick Transportation rescued three children and rendered first aid after coming up on a horrific car crash in Georgia.
Photo: TCA
Terry Reavis came across catastrophic collision on February 19, 2023, on I-95 in Brunswick, Georgia, when he witnessed a pickup truck driving backwards across three lanes of traffic, which was then T-boned by an SUV.
Reavis was one of the first on scene, rescuing three children and aiding an injured woman until help arrived. His 27 years of experience and training as a first responder enabled him to manage one of the worst accidents he’s ever seen.
Selfless Bravery Honored
Since 1997, TCA’s Highway Angel program has recognized professional truck drivers who have selflessly helped others while on the job. From each year’s recipients, one is selected as Highway Angel of the Year because he or she best embodies the spirit of the program.
Learn more about the TCA Highway Angel program at www.highwayangel.org.
The TCA Highway Angel program is sponsored by EpicVue, Northland Insurance and DriverFacts.
Each driver will receive a complimentary EpicVue satellite TV package that includes a 24-inch flatscreen TV, a DVR, and a one-year subscription to over 100 channels of DIRECTV programming, including premium channels such as HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and the NFL Sunday Ticket.
