Bison Driver commended for heroic actions at tragic collision
TORONTO, (Nov. 13, 2025) – It was a sunny day in May, close to Sintaluta, Sask. Bison veteran driver Darrin Gillmore was taking a young trainee on his first western trip into the Mountains. Suddenly, the music on the radio was pierced by the awful sound of metal colliding and when they turned the bend in the road a minute later, they saw two severely wrecked cars, smoking in the ditch.
The driver of the blue car tried to cross the highway and did not see an oncoming car, which collided with it at a very high rate of speed.
“I just told my student, Omen, pull over, right now. He’s like, ‘what are we doing’? I said, ‘we have to go help them,’” says Gillmore, who is from Orillia, Ont.
A man involved in the wreck was out of his vehicle, so Gillmore helped him lay down until emergency medical services arrived.
Gillmore ran to the other car, where he saw a deceased older woman in the driver’s seat.
“and then I looked past her, and there was her grandson … Oh my gosh,” he recalls. “So, I ran around to the other side; you must remain calm at these things, and so I talk to him, made sure he wouldn’t move until professionals arrived. He was shaking and in shock, so I held his hand to keep him calm and keep him focused, and his head turned my way, and not at grandma.”
<< Watch Gillmore’s dramatic heroic story and how a ‘guardian angel’ keeps putting him in positions to help many people on the highway>>
At that point, Li noticed fuel leaking from both vehicles and Gillmore helped him disconnect the blaring horn on one car as well as the battery and put out smoke, to prevent a fire.
For his bravery and selfless action, Gillmore was presented with the 2025 Bridgestone-OTA Truck Hero Award at the OTA’s annual executive conference in Toronto last night.
The Truck Hero award recognizes a professional truck driver who performs an act of exemplary courtesy and courage to others.
After the incident, Gillmore Counselled Li and reached out to Bison headquarters about getting Li any help he needed to deal with the traumatic event.
“We talked a lot and he gave me some suggestions and his way that he coped with these problems … because this is not the first-time helping others on the road,” says Li.
Darrin estimates he’s seen over 100 collisions in his 20-year career, with many fatalities. He says his sister – who also died tragically in a similar crash 25 years ago – watches over him and guides him while he’s out on the highway.
“She rides with me. She protects me,” he says. “Maybe she puts me into these positions so that I can help somebody else, so another family doesn’t have to go through what we went through. That’s why I help people.”
If you or someone you know has a story similar to Darrin Gillmore we would love to hear about it. Visit AMTA Angles of the Highway and submit your heroic story today!