CULLMAN, Ala. – Cullman County has effectively been at a standstill for the better portion of a week, thanks to the winter storm that swept in on Monday. Temperatures plummeted and many local volunteer organizations jumped into action, opening warming stations to anyone needing a safe, warm, dry place to shelter and weather the freeze. Unfortunately, the precariously slick roads prevented some residents from leaving their driveways, let alone their neighborhoods.
Enter one heroic local man who saw a need and took action with nothing requested in return; he simply wanted to help his community.
On Monday night, Interstate 65 through Cullman County was the first road closure in the county, the roadway too slick to safely navigate. Many drivers slid into ditches or were unable to move forward, wheels endlessly spinning on the ice. Kevin O’Neil, a local automotive specialist who has owned Redline Diesel & Automotive LLC in Cullman since 2018, was precariously making his own way home from his shop when he felt the call to help. Knowing he had the skills, tools and gumption to do so, O’Neil consulted his wife, Ashia, and asked her to make a post on her social media pages – a call looking for people who were stranded on the ice, people who needed help.
“He called me when he left the shop and was like, ‘I feel like this is what I need to do, make a post on Facebook,’” she said.
The post was made and eventually made its way to the intended targets, the motorists who were stranded on I-65 in a dangerous predicament. O’Neil set to work hooking up cars and other vehicles to his truck and pulling them to safer spots until it was clear for them to resume travels. In a span of less than a handful of hours, O’Neil had successfully helped and assisted more than seven displaced vehicles from the roadway. His calling was persistent, though. O’Neil had one more request for his wife, to call nearby hotels and inquire about vacancies so he could ensure each individual was in a safe place for the night.
“I was just doing what was right and it wasn’t fair for me to be selfish and go home and leave those people stranded,” said O’Neil. “I had the means to get them to safety and just treated people as I would want to be treated.”
Redline Diesel & Automotive LLC is located at 40 County Road 1199 and can be reached by phone at 256-595-7976. Find Redline on Facebook at www.facebook.com/redlinecullman.
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