James Reeves: A Good Samaritan Story

Justin Kilbane was traveling through Flagstaff with his girlfriend when he slid off the road and into a 4-foot-deep snowbank. Stuck in the snow on the side of a heavily trafficked interstate and unable to get himself out, he watched as truck after truck passed by. Finally, a shiny red big rig pulled over next to him.

“We just had moved through an intersection… it was a pretty bad snowstorm with a lot of ice,” Justin recounts. “As we went through the right lane, we slid into a snow bank and got stuck. It was really cold, and there was about 4 feet of snow— all kinds of bad stuff you don’t want to be sitting around in. And that’s a busy interstate for trucking. Fifteen minutes and about 50 trucks went by, and no one stopped except for a Knight truck. A guy in his slippers jumped out and said, ‘Hey, I know how it feels; I’ve been in this boat before, let me help you out.’”

The trucker was James Reeves, a Knight driver out of El Paso, who was passing through Flagstaff on his way to Albuquerque. Recalling a few times that he himself had been stuck, James pulled over to lend a helping hand.

“I had a tow strap, and he rounded me up, put his hazard lights on, pulled me out, and made sure I got turned around safely,” Justin continues. “I tried to offer him money, and he said, ‘I’ve been in this boat before. I can’t take your money. I’m just so happy to help.’ He was a wonderful guy, as nice as you could possibly get.”

We appreciate James for his empathy and kindness. As an army veteran and now a truck driver, James has a service and duty-driven character. James has been a part of our Knight family for only a year but has proven to be an invaluable team member and friend.

Thank you, James!