A part-time Washington, D.C. Uber driver, determined to get his teenage passenger home safely after being stranded on I-95 for five hours, has been offered a new job for going above and beyond for the girl.
DaVante Williams, 32, accepted the trip request from D.C. to Williamsburg, Virginia, an approximately 2-and-a-half-hour trip, at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, CNN reported. About 20 miles into the ride, Williams found himself at a stand still on I-95.
Williams had no idea the roads were shut down in Virginia when he picked the girl up from Union Station, he said during an interview with News Nation. (RELATED: Thousands of Drivers Stuck On Major Highway For 15+ Hours Due To Tractor-Trailer Accident, Icy Roads)
“I did not get a warning, and even when I turned on my Uber and Lyft apps there was no warning,” he said.
The girl was headed home, he explained, but her train had been cancelled because another train, coming from Fredericksburg, derailed.
“I noticed, ‘Hey, there’s a bunch of red lights.’ I’m like, ‘Okay.’ And I have a passenger in the back of my car. I’m like, ‘Okay, let me turn around.’ And that was, one: illegal. But, I needed to do something, because it looked like it wasn’t moving,” he said. “When I got off the ramp, I noticed I couldn’t get down any of the other streets. The state troopers were telling me these roads were closed due to power outages and fallen trees, so I had nowhere to go but back to I-95 South.”
Not all heroes wear capes ❤️ thank you, Davante! https://t.co/MlvQj3BBWe
— Uber (@Uber) January 5, 2022
In addition to making sure the car stayed warm while they were stuck, Williams offered the girl small snacks that he keeps in his cars for his Uber and Lyft passengers. But he knew he couldn’t just sit and wait for the roads to clear up.
“I need to get out of this traffic because my anxiety is starting, and I’m in a car with a complete stranger,” Williams said during an interview with The Washington Post. “I’m responsible for her and me at this moment.” (RELATED: Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam Repeatedly Blames Drivers For Day-Long Traffic Jam)
He was eventually able to follow a truck and a few other vehicles and return to D.C., but Williams was not comfortable leaving the teenage girl at Union Station by herself, according to CNN. So, after speaking with the girls parents and convincing them that his intentions were genuine, Williams rented her a hotel room and offered to drive her home for free once the roads cleared, the outlet said.
“She was calling her parents in panic. 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 told News Nation.
A friend of the girl’s family was able to take her home, according to CNN.
Williams’ efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. Not only did the teenager and her parents reach out to him to thank him. Alto, a luxury ride-sharing company based out of Texas, offered him a 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,” he told News Nation in a follow up interview. He will be training drivers on customer service and how to maintain their vehicles, according to CNN. (RELATED: Teen Waitress Granted Scholarship After Act Of Kindness)
A spokeswoman for Alto told CNN they are “thrilled” to have Williams join their team.
“DaVante is exactly the type of customer and safety focused leader we are looking to help lead our DC presence.”
“The past week has been extremely overwhelming,” Williams tweeted on Monday. “Yet I am just grateful that I could be blessing and ‘hero’ to someone! In life I’ve learn there is no battle too hard for God! I’ve trusted in him all my life and his blessings upon me have just be second to none! Continue to be kind!”
