Couple, bread company praised for passing out loaves to stuck drivers on I-95
Passengers got out of their cars to help pass out bread
A man and woman who helped a bread truck driver pass out freshly packed loaves to stranded motorists on Interstate 95 following Monday's blizzard are being called heroes.
On Monday, Casey Holihan and husband John Noe were among hundreds of motorists trapped on the major interstate during plunging temperatures and heavy snowfall.
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Casey Holihan and her husband, John Noe, passing out bread on I-95. (Casey Holihan)
The couple left Monday morning, driving south on I-95 from Baltimore toward North Carolina. The trip should have taken a few hours, Holihan told FOX Business. They didn't make it until Tuesday afternoon.
While waiting in the gridlock, they grew hungry. They weren't the only ones.
"We were just sitting there in the car, starving, staring at this bread truck," Holihan told FOX Business, referring to a Schmidt Old Tyme bread truck.
Eventually, they got in touch with H&S Family of Bakeries, which owns Schmidt Baking Company.
Casey Holihan and her husband, John Noe, passing out bread on I-95. (Casey Holihan)
"When Casey took the initiative to reach out and let us know about all of the travelers stranded on that icy highway, it was without question or pause that we would access our product and use the resources available to help those hungry and in need," Chuck Paterakis, senior vice president of transportation and logistics at H&S Bakery, told FOX Business.
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Within 10 minutes, the driver jumped outside his cab and started opening up the back to grab and distribute bread, Holihan said.
Holihan and Noe helped the driver walk up and down the highway to pass out the bread, "which was way more difficult than it sounds because of all the ice," she said.
When other motorists saw what they were doing, they joined in to help, Holihan added.
Casey Holihan and her husband, John Noe, passing out bread on I-95 alongside fellow travelers. (Casey Holihan)
"People were just so grateful," Holihan said. "People were coming out and saying, 'Please can I have some for my children. They haven't eaten.'"
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Holihan said they tried to greet every car with a smile due to the unwelcome circumstances.
Paterakis said the bread company was "inspired by Casey’s quick thinking and selflessness" in helping to distribute the food to the other travelers.
"Myself, my family and the entire H&S Bakery team are humbled by what transpired on Interstate 95 during the snow storm earlier this week," Paterakis said.
Bread truck driver opening the back of the truck to pass out bread on I-95. (Casey Holihan)
Paterakis also commended the driver for helping in the relief effort.
"They are the true heroes of this story and are deserving of recognition and gratitude from their community and everyone involved in this very scary incident," he said.