Driver Mike Johnson of T286 in Neosho, MO, recently earned Ruan’s Extra Mile Award for diligently surveying his surroundings as part of Megasafe7 Rule 2: Expand Your View.
About an hour into his route at 4:05 a.m., Johnson said he saw something white on the edge of a ditch—he thought it was a deer. It wasn’t. Taking a closer look, Johnson realized it was a toddler wearing nothing but a diaper.
“He immediately pulled to the shoulder and turned off his truck,” said Dedicated Transportation Manager Ruff Yokley, who first heard the story from Johnson. “When he picked the toddler up, the child hugged Mike tightly and put its head on his shoulder; the baby would not let go and was crying uncontrollably.”
Johnson called 911, and the child was safely taken into custody.
“Mike’s attentiveness for always scanning for anything that might come out of the darkness and experience with expanding his view saved the life of this toddler,” Yokley said.
In response to receiving the Extra Mile Award, Johnson said he was just doing what anyone would do in that situation. We are so thankful that he was using caution and paying attention to his surroundings—others may not have been as diligent.
In addition to the Extra Mile Award, Ruan also nominated Johnson for the Truckload Carriers Association's Highway Angel award.