Frozen Highway Full Of Stranded Motorists Turns Into A Potluck

Update January 6, 2022: Jimmy Dean company caught wind of truck driver Jean-Carlo Gachet's act of kindness while stuck on the icy I-95 highway and have announced that it plans to award the driver a year's supply of Jimmy Dean breakfast. The brand tweeted, "This kindly act warmed our boots! Thanks for helping out your neighbor, Jean-Carlo..."

In addition to the year's supply, the company also plans to "pay it forward" by donating 100k Jimmy Dean breakfasts to the charity Feeding America. The donation will be made in Gachet's name.

Original post January 5, 2022: Sometimes a frustrating and exhausting situation can actually bring out the good in people. Multiple news outlets reported that after a snowstorm hit with more than a foot of snow, motorists on about a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 95 in eastern Virginia were left stranded in the wintry conditions for more than 24 hours.

CNN spoke with a truck driver, one of the people stuck on the highway, about his decision to share his food supply with the people in a vehicle next to him. The truck driver was on his way to Georgia when he got stuck on I-95 with two days' worth of food left for himself. He used the microwave in his truck to heat up a Jimmy Dean bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast bowl and water for a cup of fruit punch to share with a neighboring vehicle.

This driver wasn't the only person to get into the giving spirit while being stranded. The Washington Post reported that one couple noticed a Schmidt Baking Company truck among the stranded vehicles. The couple had not eaten since the day before and knew others around them were struggling as well. They called the baking company and spoke with customer service in the hope they could convince someone to let them open up the truck and get that bread. After leaving their number with a representative, they got a call back from the CEO who told them to crack that bad boy open and let it rain.

Okay, that's not exactly what the CEO said, but you get the idea. In the end, with the help of the bread truck driver, they handed out about 300 loaves of bread to stranded motorists.

As of publication, the road has opened back up and cars that ran out of gas during the shutdown are being cleared. Thankfully, these drivers were able to get moving, but the whole situation does present an interesting question to consider for the future. What snacks should you keep in your car for emergency situations like this one? Some people have survival kits in their trunk that include flashlights, batteries, a blanket, etc. But do they have enough non-perishable foods?