A truck driver helped three college students stranded in northern New Mexico make their way back to school for finals despite a bout of bad weather.
Three students at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado decided to take a quick trip to Denver before finals. Unfortunately, the trio did not take into account the predicted snow moving through southwest Colorado and Northern New Mexico until it was too late.
On their way back to Durango, the trio was warned during a stop in South Fork that the Mini Cooper they were driving would not make it up Wolf Creek Pass, and would not even be legally allowed to drive there without snow tires or chains. Because of that, Staley, Keyanna, and Dakota decided to go around the pass, taking them into Northern New Mexico, where plenty of snow had fallen as well.
On Highway 17 heading south from Antonito the trio and their car did indeed get stuck in the snow, and that’s where their true predicament started. Staley then called the only friend at Fort Lewis College that she knew had a four wheel drive vehicle – Byrne.
“She called me at like, nine o’clock and told me she couldn’t get over here,” he said to The Journal. “I was just hanging out working on a paper, and I was the only one that they knew that had a bigger vehicle. I drive a (Toyota) Tacoma, so I just got up and drove out there.”
Instead of staying put and waiting for Byrne the three woman chose to get out of the car and hitchhike to the nearest town – a move not advised by experts. Thankfully, a trucker came to their rescue. Marcus the trucker from Houston picked up the girls and agreed to take them to Chama.
“He dropped us off and we shook his hand,” Staley said. “He was the sweetest man ever. He’s planning on taking his daughter to Disneyland.”
Once dropped off at the Chama Trails Motel, the girls asked if they could hang out in the Lobby, but the owners of the place didn’t leave it at that – they offered the woman hot chocolate and sandwiches while they waited for their friend.
“They were the sweetest couple,” Staley said. “They had this little 8-month-old baby, and her name was Josephine. They stayed up with us. They spoke with us. They offered us food and everything.”
Thankfully, the girls managed to get back to school for their finals, got great grades, and have a wonderful memory to remember the end of the semester by – and they have a trucker to thank for a lot of that.
“They all rescued us and then Byrne came and picked us up, and we just had a blast talking the whole way back, sharing our whole experience,” she said. “What a really nice end to a girl’s trip!”