On a January afternoon in near-whiteout conditions, a Mississauga truck driver named Isik Altinisik came upon a chain of crashes on Ontario’s Highway 401 and did not drive past. This week, the Ontario Trucking Association named him its 2026 OTA-Bridgestone Truck Hero for what he did next.
Altinisik received the award on November 11 at the association’s annual awards dinner in Toronto, according to Truck News. The honor goes to drivers who show exceptional courage and courtesy on the road.
A burning SUV in a snowstorm
The crashes happened on January 27 near Trenton, Ontario, about two hours east of Toronto. Ontario Provincial Police estimated that about 50 vehicles were involved in several collisions between the Shannonville and Brighton areas, including one pileup of about 17 vehicles, Global News reported at the time. A tractor-trailer caught fire, and both directions of the highway were shut down.
Altinisik, an operations manager at a Mississauga food distributor who drives when the company needs him, was delivering fresh food to Ottawa. In the pileup, Theresa Rozendaal’s SUV was trapped between vehicles, and flames were spreading from under the hood. She got out through a window but soon lost consciousness, Truck News reported.
Altinisik broke the SUV’s rear window with his bare hands while checking whether anyone else was inside, injuring his hands. He helped Rozendaal away from the wreck, and her SUV exploded within seconds. A local outlet, PtboToday, carried her account under the headline, “I am only alive because he pulled me away from the fire.”
Five more hours of helping
He did not leave once Rozendaal was safe. For about five hours, Altinisik helped other drivers out of wrecked vehicles, dug stranded cars out of the snow and comforted people who were frightened, according to Truck News. PtboToday reported that he triaged several people before emergency crews arrived and held the hand of a woman trapped in her car. One driver he helped dig out said he appeared to be working with an injured hand.
Rozendaal estimated he helped 50 to 75 people that day. Remarkably, no one died. Quinte West’s fire chief reported no fatalities or major injuries, and about five people went to the hospital with minor injuries, Global News reported. Rozendaal herself was treated for a sprained ankle, a concussion and a few stitches.
“Not a hero”
Altinisik, who immigrated to Canada from Turkey about eight years ago, has pushed back on the label. “I’m not a hero. I did what they need,” he told Truck News. He and Rozendaal now describe each other as family. She has said that calling him a brother means more to her than calling him a hero.
Stories like his are a reminder that most rescues are not done by people in uniforms. They are done by whoever happens to be there and decides to stop. Earlier this week we told a similar story about a maritime cadet who pulled a father and son from a pool.
Why it matters for families
Winter driving season is starting across much of North America. A few simple steps make it easier to help yourself or others if you get stuck: keep a blanket, gloves, a flashlight, a small shovel and a phone charger in the car; slow down and leave extra space in snow; and if you stop at a crash, turn on your hazard lights and call emergency services before you approach. Our weekend checklist for the first freeze has more cold-weather tips.
Read more: Found Asleep by a Creek: An Australian Teen’s Six Days Lost
Have you ever been helped by a stranger on the road? Share your story in the comments.
Sources: Truck News, “Ontario truck driver honored for heroic rescue during fiery highway pileup” (November 2026); PtboToday, “Hero rescues woman from burning SUV in Hwy. 401 crash” (January 30, 2026); Global News, “About 50 vehicles involved in ‘many’ collisions on Highway 401” (January 27, 2026)
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