LAS VEGAS—Truck driver Christopher Lloyd was on his way to a FedEx hub in Nashville early one morning when he saw a burning vehicle that had crashed into a utility pole. His quick actions to help the two people trapped inside led to him being honored as the 2021 Highway Angel of the Year by the Truckload Carriers Association during its Truckload 2022 event.
Lloyd, a driver for Airline Transportation Specialists, was joined by his family on stage at the Wynn Las Vegas, where he accepted the award, which is sponsored by EpicVue.
The Forest, Mississippi, driver was one of three 2021 Highway Angel recipients who were finalists for the annual honor. For the first time in the program's history, the public was invited to vote for the winner. More than 1,600 voted in the poll, according to TCA.
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When Lloyd arrived at the scene at 3 a.m. that November 2022 morning, the engine compartment of the crashed vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. “There were other vehicles pulling up and watching, taking pictures, but not getting out to help,” Lloyd told TCA.
He pulled his truck over, called 911, grabbed his fire extinguisher, and jumped out of his cab. “I couldn’t get the flames out completely,” he recalled. He tried the doors but found them locked. “I ran back to the truck for a winch bar and my 10-pound hazmat extinguisher to finish putting the fire out and to bust out the windows.”
The car’s cabin was filled with smoke. Lloyd found the driver pinned behind the wheel. “She was unresponsive but breathing,” he said. “The male passenger ended up in the back seat and was in pretty bad shape. I checked and found a pulse, and he was breathing.” He directed another person to hold the man’s neck still and not to move him.
After Lloyd extinguished the fire, he directed others on the scene to wait until emergency responders arrived before moving either of the car’s occupants. The driver and passenger were both transported in extremely critical condition. Lloyd later learned that he was the only one who called 911. A police officer told him the pair would have burned alive if it weren’t for him.
“That wasn’t my normal run that night,” Lloyd said. “The driver that usually takes that run had broken down. The dispatcher called and asked if I could take it. I was delayed by over an hour, but somehow it all lined up for me to be there at that precise moment in time to hopefully save their lives.” He hasn’t been able to get an update on their condition. “I hope the best for them,” he said.
Lloyd became a volunteer firefighter at the age of 16 and went to a firefighting academy. He later joined the U.S. Coast Guard. “The night of the fire, it all came flooding back—how to manage a scene,” he said. “Just like it was yesterday.”
He was joined by his wife, Chrissy, and 10-month-old son Jimmy, whom he thanked.
“Thank you for your selfless act of courage that night,” EpicVue CEO Lance Platt said after presenting Lloyd with a personalized crystal truck.
“Airline Transportation is very proud of Chris and feels so honored to have such a man representing our company,” said Tom Medved, the company's president. “His hard work as a driver is only exceeded by the size of his heart.”
Medved added: “Our company is so happy that Chris is receiving recognition for his brave actions and feel very privileged to work with such a man every day!”
Lloyd will receive a complimentary EpicVue satellite TV package that includes a 24-inch flat-screen TV, a DVR, and a one-year subscription to more than 100 channels of DirecTV programming, including premium channels such as HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and NFL Sunday Ticket.
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 program's spirit.
