Acts of kindness: KDOT crews assist travelers in need of help

Acts of kindness at KDOT is not uncommon and it does not go unnoticed. Many employees have earned the upmost respect from their surrounding community by lending a helpful hand when it’s needed the most. 

“It’s common for equipment operators to pull over in their plow truck to help stranded motorists and check on the safety of those who may be inside,” said Donnie Burkholder, Equipment Operator Senior in Salina. 

When Strong City Equipment Operators Carl Zorn and Dean Switzer were doing route checks, they pulled over to help two motorists who blew a tire. They not only helped the couple to safely change the tire on a busy road but also helped to call a local shop and locate a new tire. Dave and Debbie McCarthy then wrote a nice thank you letter to KDOT expressing their gratitude to Zorn and Switzer. 

KDOT Equipment Operators Dean Switzer  and Carl Zorn from the Strong City office assisted two motorists who blew a tire. 

In another example, on an afternoon heading west on I-70 after a day of training in Topeka, Kenny Cohen, Highway Maintenance Supervisor in Junction City, pulled over to help a woman change a flat tire. “The young woman had tears in her eyes and expressed sincere gratitude when I helped her,” said Cohen. Cohen says he and his crew have also helped to deliver fuel to stranded motorists and assisted motorists to find help for a broken-down vehicle.  

KDOT workers face many different scenarios with when finding a vehicle on the side of the road. Doug Newquist, Highway Maintenance Supervisor in Beloit, said he will never forget when he pulled up to a vehicle from out of state who was parked on the side of the road because their family dog had just passed away while traveling. Newquist helped the family locate a nearby vet for cremation services while they were out of state. “Anytime a motorist is stranded on the side of the road it is our duty to stop and check on them,” Newquist said.

Amy Allen says she will never forget the story of when her husband, Scott Allen, Highway Maintenance Supervisor in Salina, pulled over to check on a stranded vehicle and found a girl in tears who was about to take her own life. “Scott reacted quickly by comforting the girl and immediately called law enforcement who later told him he probably saved that young girl’s life when he found her on the side of the road,” said Amy.

Cody Deneault, Equipment Operator from Belleville, assisted a driver who was stuck in the snow earlier during a snow and ice event this past winter. 

This past winter many KDOT employees showed that by putting in long hours to help the team battle the removal of snow and ice. When you may have been at home sleeping in bed or sitting down to dinner, several workers at KDOT were putting on their work boots and winter coats so they could work to clear the highways and help keep Kansas moving. In one example, Cody Deneault, Equipment Operator in Belleville, pulled over to help a motorist get their vehicle unstuck by digging out the snow around it, laying salt under its wheels, and even helping to push the car out.

In another example, Clyde Thrush, Highway Maintenance Supervisor in Minneapolis, was there when a citizen desperately needed his help to get the emergency care needed by clearing the path in his plow truck, so the local ambulance could get to the hospital.

KDOT Highway Maintenance Supervisor from Minneapolis cleared the way for an emergency vehicle so they could make it to the hospital in time to save a life. 

These acts of kindness make them the hidden heroes on our state’s highways by being there when you need help the most. They don’t wear capes and to them it is just part of the job as they pull over in their orange hat or vest expecting nothing in return but a smile. 

Whether it be needing to sit in a warm truck until help arrives on a cold winter night, being broken down on the side of the road and needing to call for help, or just needing help to safely drive from one location to another in bad winter conditions, KDOT workers are there to help.