A trucker’s tale — more bitter than sweet — unfolded in the pre-dawn hours of Oct. 3, when a woman pulled a big rig to safety as her unconscious husband drew his last breaths in the driver’s seat.
| Osbun Family |
| Bruce Osbun died at the wheel of his tractor-trailer, which his wife, Betty, guided to safety. |
Bruce and Betty Osbun, team drivers for Zimmerman Trucking of Mifflintown, Pa., were driving west on Interstate 70 and had just crossed into Indiana. It was 4 a.m., and Bruce had been at the wheel for about 20 minutes, Betty said.
The couple was headed for a truck stop in hopes of finding a doctor. Bruce was experiencing shortness of breath, which he attributed to indigestion. But his self-diagnosis turned out to be tragically wrong.
Just one month short of his 50th birthday, Bruce suffered a heart attack. As he slipped into unconsciousness, the truck, bound for California with 18,000 pounds of Macy’s goods, veered toward a slope at the side of the Interstate, near the exit for a truck stop, Betty said.
For the full story, see the Oct. 25 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.