A group of Illinois police officers went out of their way to help stranded truck drivers find safe parking when the truck stops in their town were filled up during a weekend blizzard.
Last weekend, a heavy snow storm dumped inches of snow on locations all across the U.S. — including the town of LeRoy, Illinois, where numerous truck drivers found themselves stranded by weather without anywhere to park as both of the town’s truck stops were already at full capacity.
While law enforcement in many towns would have forced the truck drivers to figure out their own parking solution, the LeRoy Police Department stepped in and coordinated with local businesses to not only make sure that truckers had places to park, but that they had access to a hot meal.
A Facebook post from the LeRoy Police Department describes their effort to help out the truck drivers:
Last night officers worked for several hours to move many semi’s to additional parking areas in town. This is done so they have overnight parking for their mandatory resting periods. Also, so they do not block roadways in the City as snow removal operations are being conducted and so passenger cars can easily travel on our roads. Once both truck stops are at capacity, and often during these events over capacity, these operations must be done. We ask for resources from others in our city during times like blizzards or severe weather situations. We would like to thank those that helped us last night without question.
We would like to thank Alexander Lumber for opening the gates to their rear lot for us to move semi’s to for overflow parking.
In addition, we would like to thank Casey’s General Store and their delivery driver. Casey’s was not delivering last night due to the weather, however agreed to deliver to the truck drivers parked at Alexander Lumber since they were unable to drive or walk to get food.
Thank you to Dr. Brenda Kube for giving permission to us and several semi drivers for the use of Leroy Family Medicine Clinic lot for additional overflow parking.
Thank you to the Days Inn for opening their front lot for semi parking.
A big thank you to the City of Leroy Street Department for assisting us with plowing overflow lots and helping keep our streets as clear as possible during this event.
We understand many that were on the roads traveling last night may have been inconvenienced during these operations. We thank you for your patience with us to get this done. Also, thank you to any of the truck drivers we asked to move last night. Each of you were nice and accommodating under special circumstances in a strange town just looking for a place to sleep.
Since the Facebook post was shared, many users offered up words of thanks for the way that LeRoy police handled the truck parking situation.
Dave Huhnerkopf wrote:
“In my almost 30 years of driving, I’ve only seen or heard of this happening a handful of times. Isn’t it strange that big cities would be just the opposite. Those businesses would have the trucks towed. The exception was West Des Moines, Iowa. A few years ago, they utilized a mall parking lot, in a blizzard.
Gotta love LeRoy for doing this.
Well done, Leroy”
Mike-milo Tongate said:
As a truck driver I’m proud of the Leroy police as well chief Jason Williamson and all the people who did help to make it possible. There are MANY towns that push trucks away any more during the good or bad weather. I have had to drive at times that I know I could not see anything but was told I had to leave. Great job Leroy
For more, see the report from Central Illinois Proud below.