Secretary Duffy Extends Invitation to Trucker Who Intercepted Wrong-Way Driver for Visit to Washington, D.C.

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The U.S. Department of Transportation, under the leadership of Sean Duffy, has extended an invitation to a vigilant truck driver who recently became a roadside hero. Tim O’Friel, the intrepid trucker, captured the attention of many when he intervened to stop a fellow truck driver who was dangerously traveling in the wrong direction along the Indiana-Ohio border.

O’Friel didn’t just witness the perilous event; he took action. He recorded the tense moments as he safely pulled over and confronted the errant driver. In the video, he can be heard firmly stating, “You are going the wrong way down the freeway. You are committing a felony right now,” highlighting the gravity of the situation and the potential for disaster.

The incident quickly drew the attention of Sean Duffy, who took to Facebook to share the video, noting that the driver going the wrong way was “foreign.” In recognition of O’Friel’s quick thinking and bravery, Duffy has invited him to Washington, D.C., an acknowledgment of his significant role in averting a potential catastrophe.

Amidst this story of heroism, other national issues continue to unfold. For instance, the Mayor of Los Angeles has recently called for “accountability” in the wake of a controversial immigration crackdown, a topic gaining considerable attention across the country.

“Foreign truck drivers not being able to understand the rules of our roads is a crisis that is putting lives in danger. The U.S. Department of Transportation is doing the work to fix it and SAVE LIVES!” he said.

O’Friel told the video he captured is just a snapshot of the unsafe driving he witnesses.

“The amount of dangerous driving that a lot of these drivers do when they think no one is looking … it’s primarily foreign drivers, or people who don’t respect the law,” he said.

O’Friel told he plans to discuss past legislation that, he believes, has made the industry less safe for drivers and others on the road.

The Transportation Department announced last week it was withholding more than $40 million in federal highway safety funding from California over the state failing to comply with English language proficiency guidelines for commercial drivers.

In April, President Trump signed an executive order requiring commercial truck drivers to be proficient in English, nearly two months after he signed an order designating English as the national language.