An Uber driver from Washington, D.C. who became stranded along with his passenger for five hours during a snow storm on Tuesday, has been rewarded for his kindness.
Davante Williams, 32, was taking his teenage passenger on a ride in his BMW when the pair suddenly became stuck on an icy stretch of Interstate 95 in Virginia, together with hundreds of other drivers.
The fare was already going to be substantial as he attempted to navigate his way from downtown D.C. to Williamsburg, Virginia, a journey of 150 miles.
Uber driver DaVante Williams became stuck together with a passenger on I-95 on Tuesday
Drivers wait for the traffic to be cleared as cars and trucks are stranded on sections of Interstate 95 on Tuesday after 48 miles of the Interstate was closed due to ice and snow
But Williams found he was going nowhere fast as 48 miles if I-95 was shut down with weather conditions making the road impassable.
Despite attempting to avoid taking the Interstate, at one point there was no other option leaving the pair stuck in a horrendous traffic jam.
‘I just figured out maybe it was a little fender bender, but when I got closer, I noticed traffic was not moving.’ Every time Williams tried to get off the freeway he was advised by police officers to get back onto the main road with surrounding roads also closed by snow and ice.
Willams said that he gave the girl who was sitting in the back seat his supply of water and crackers during the journey. Nevertheless, she became extremely anxious and upset during the ordeal.
‘At this point we are just sitting on the same location, hours are starting to go by and people are starting to get off their cars to stretch,’ Williams explained. ‘This doesn’t look good.’
Upon exiting the freeway at the earliest opportunity, Williams drove to a hotel to make sure his teenage passenger was safe
Drivers were faced with never-ending tailback after the Interstate was completely shut down
At one point he became so concerned about fuel levels that Williams had to keep switching his car engine on and off every few minutes in order to conserve gas while still attempting to keep the interior warm.
‘I need to get out of this traffic because my anxiety is starting, and I’m in a car with a complete stranger,’ Williams told The Washington Post. ‘I’m responsible for her and me at this moment.’
‘My passenger, she was so distraught,’ he told NewsNation. ‘Apparently, I picked her up from Union Station, and her train was canceled due to derailment. So she only could call for Uber, and I was her driver.
Williams spoke to the girls’ parents to explain that he would drive her back to Washington D.C. without charge.
‘I had to explain to her parents that, ‘Hey, I’m not anyone crazy. I’m just trying to get your daughter somewhere safe.
Williams, 32, even telephoned the girls’ parents so they wouldn’t worry
‘I understand your fear and what’s going through your mind,’ Williams told the girl’s mom. ‘But please see that this is coming from a genuine place. I just want her to be safe and get rest.’
Williams ended up getting the girl a hotel room for the night and even footed the bill.
‘I wind up having to put her in a hotel because she wasn’t old enough to get a room … So I wanted to make sure she was comfortable. And I didn’t want to leave her stranded,’ he said.
His story went viral with Uber tweeting the story of his good deed and giving him the $150 it cost for her hotel room.
Uber tweeted about the story and even footed the bill for the hotel he paid for
Some drivers were stuck overnight after the Interstate was completely closed
‘Not all heroes wear capes. Thank you, Davante!’ they tweeted.
‘Mr. Williams went above and beyond during this very stressful situation, and we thank him for his thoughtful actions,’ added Uber spokesperson said in a statement.
Since then, Williams has received nothing but praise as well as offers for a new job.
‘I received an offer to be a lead driver for Ride Alto, where I will be pretty much in the office, just being a supervisor.’
Following the drama, the teenager reached out to thank him for his moment of kindness.
‘She actually texted me and just thanked me … for everything that I had done for her that night.
‘The following morning her parents also … just outpouring of thanks again, for all that I could do to assist their daughter.
‘At the end of the day, the situation was larger than me and it was not about the money,’ Williams said. ‘It was about me doing the humane thing for me and her to be safe.’
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk