A truck driver lost his life to a medical emergency last week, but his family says that his actions during his final moments were a testament to his professionalism behind the wheel.
The fatal incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. on October 23 near Kingston, Ontario.
According to the Windsor Star, 71 year old truck driver Gary Demars was hauling a load of cars westbound on Highway 401 when he had a heart attack during rush hour traffic.
In spite of the medical emergency, family members say that “his last selfless act was to pull his truck to safety, from the middle lane of a busy highway to the side of the road potentially saving countless lives.“
#FrontenacOPP investigating after transport (car carrier) left #Hwy401 wb lanes in west #Kingston just after 4:30pm Friday. Driver, 71 yrs old from Lakeshore, ON was pronounced deceased at hospital. Lanes restrictions remained in place for several hours for investigation. ^bd pic.twitter.com/gxghaaduwQ
— OPP East Region (@OPP_ER) October 24, 2020
Police say that Demars was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Family members say that Demars had no history of heart problems and that he was still on the road at age 71 to provide for his wife, who became disabled following complications from hip surgery.