ABF Freight System driver, Ronnie Milner, has been named the latest Truckload Carriers Assn. Highway Angel for his efforts helping an elderly couple in trouble on the highway.

On Sept. 13, 2012, Milner was driving southbound along I-57 near Gilman, IL, when he saw a white Buick turned sideways across both lanes. He stopped, put on his flashers, and went to investigate.

Inside the car, he found an elderly couple. Apparently, the husband had run into the cables in the median, which pushed the car back into the middle of the road. The car was severely damaged and blocking traffic.

Milner determined that the motorists were shook up, but not injured, so he helped them out of their car and escorted them to the shoulder. He then called 911 and used his truck to protect the vehicle from further damage as motorists tried to squeeze past the wreck. Milner stayed at the scene until authorities arrived and took over.

Milner, who has been a truck driver since 1989, said he has “seen some good, and seen some bad” during his years on the road. “I did no more than anyone else would do,” he said. “I don’t know how you could just drive by.”

The TCA Highway Angel program is sponsored by Internet Truckstop. Since the program’s inception in August 1997, hundreds of drivers have been recognized as Highway Angels for the unusual kindness, courtesy, and courage they have shown while on the job.

To learn more about the Highwat Angel program or to nominate a driver, go to www.truckload.org/highway-angel or visit the Angel Facebook page. For additional information, contact TCA at (703) 838-1950 or angel@truckload.org.