An Abbotsford truck driver and father of two is being praised as a hero after pushing a colleague out of the path of a swerving SUV -- sacrificing his own life in the process.

Baldev Grewal was standing with Balwinder Sidhu on a median in Calgary Friday afternoon, their semi trucks parked nose-to-nose, when he saw a vehicle veering off the road towards them.

With his final moments, he shoved Sidhu from harm's way; the SUV missed him by a matter of inches.

Grewal's employers at Chohan Carriers Ltd. say they were hardly surprised to hear about his dying act of selflessness; in the six years he worked at the company, Grewal earned a reputation for his generosity and eagerness to help out. 

"What he did was just something that you'd expect out of Baldev. He was just a really great person, he always thought about others," safety manager Parm Sihota said.

"Whenever we needed him to do something for us, whether it was a favour or to pick up someone else's load, he was always there – no questions asked."

Coworkers say Grewal took pride in the condition of his truck, inside and out, and a generally meticulous approach to his responsibilities, but always kept a smile on his face and was rarely out-of-sorts.

He was killed at the scene of the crash, at 52 Street near Erin Woods Drive, but his final push allowed Sidhu to survive unscathed.

Sidhu has been given time off to cope with survivor's guilt, as well as haunting flashbacks of the horrible accident.

"He's trying to hold in there but as you can imagine it's really difficult, especially when he was at the scene and kind of witnessed the entire tragedy," Sihota said.

The Calgary Police Service confirms both trucks were parked legally at the time of the crash. After striking Grewal, the SUV continued on into oncoming traffic, where it hit another vehicle before finally coming to a stop.

The cause of the accident is unknown, but speed and alcohol are not considered factors. Reports suggest the SUV driver may have suffered a heart attack behind the wheel.

Management at Chohan Carriers say they're doing everything they can to support Grewal's wife and children, including one daughter in university and a younger son, and have set up a trust fund for them in his name.

"It takes a lot for someone to save somebody else's life and just give up his own," Sihota said, choking back tears. "Yeah, he's a hero."

The Baldev Grewal trust fund is set up at TD Bank Canada, transit number 92750, account number 92756091656.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Shannon Paterson