When a friend called for help, Jay Withey decided to brave the snow-lashing town of Cheektowaga, New York, to come to him. The plan did not work as the 27-year-old mechanic was unable to cross the streets due to snow and was trapped in his truck on Friday, December 23.
On the way he found two people who were cold and gave them shelter. However, when the van where the trio was stuck in the snow, Jay Withey began knocking on the doors of the houses that bordered the street where he was to see if anyone would give them shelter. Despite offering $500 and begging, no one has given them a home, he told CNN.
The next morning, the truck ran out of gas and the mechanic discovered, through GPS, that there was a school near that place. He broke a window and got in, but he didn’t stay there for long. He turned around and went to find other drivers stuck in the snow to take them to school. “My mission was just to go ahead and grab as many people as he could,” he said, quoted by NBC News, adding that he walked until he “cried” and felt like he “couldn’t take it anymore.”
Thanks to an effort that authorities described as heroic, Jay Withey managed to save the lives of 24 people, ranging in age from 20 to 70. In addition, he left the school door open so that other drivers could join the group, which was sheltering from the cold.
They stayed at the school for about 24 hours, where they found snowplows that helped them dig up the cars and then returned home. As I felt bad about breaking the school window, Jay Withey left a note for the authorities where he apologized: “To save everyone and to give them shelter, food and bath I had to do it. [partir a janela]”. The note had a “Merry Christmas” message and was signed only by Jay, with no last name.
After reviewing video surveillance footage, Cheektowaga police thanked Jay on Twitter for his “heroic actions, saving people’s lives.” In addition, the authorities asked for help to identify the mechanic, something they have already achieved.
Do you recognize “Merry Christmas Jay”? She got people out of the cars and sheltered them in a nearby school. He left a note apologizing for the damage and the use of the snowplow he used to make a path to the school. We want to thank “Jay” for his heroic actions that saved people’s lives. pic.twitter.com/iqdKitwEHa
— Cheektowaga Police (@CPDNYInfo) December 29, 2022
Source: Observadora
