Chongqing native lauded for helping truck driver on mountain road

Zhang Lincong, a 43-year-old Chongqing native, has won online praise for giving a helping hand to a truck driver from Shandong who was trapped on a steep mountain road amid snow, CCTV News reported on Monday.

On the afternoon of Jan 10, Zhang and his friend Li Fuzhu were driving back home after enjoying the snow scenery in the Daba Mountains of Chongqing where they found the truck driver asking for help.

The driver, surnamed Li, was going back to Shandong after delivering goods to Chongqing. However, guided by the navigation system, he found himself on the icy and snowy mountain road. What's worse, he didn't notice it was snowing until he drove halfway up the mountain.

The driver told Zhang that he used to drive small cars and had only recently switched to driving trucks. The cliff and icy road made him feel a little anxious and scared as he has little experience driving in such conditions.

After learning Li's concerns, Zhang asked Li to take their car, and he jumped in Li's truck and managed to turn it around and finally drive down the mountain safely. Li and Zhang went separate ways but later met again at a highway service area. Although Li wanted to express his gratitude again by treating Zhang and his friend to dinner, the two politely refused.

"I wasn't reckless. I drove trucks from 2013 to 2016. Although I changed to another job, I'm still skilled at driving," Zhang said when asked if he had any worries about helping a stranger on the mountain road.

"I'm happy to lend a helping hand to people in need," he said. Back in 2008, when Zhang was working in Fujian, he saved a girl from drowning.