He Was One SUV Away From a Perfect Record

A truck driver received his million-mile safe-driving award in a hospital after getting injured in a crash near Missoula, Mont.

Raymond Mattes, 53, of Post Falls, Idaho, was en route from Washington state to Ohio with a load of frozen french fries and planned to stop in Missoula on Saturday to pick up his award.

Before he got into town, a sport utility vehicle skidded in slush and ice into the path of his semi on Interstate 90. The 18-year trucking veteran, who avoided a collision by slamming into an embankment, was treated for a back injury and released Wednesday from a local hospital.