Buffalo man ‘Merry Christmas Jay’ praised after saving 24 people from lethal winter storm
Luke Gentile
Video Embed
A Buffalo man is being praised by his community after he saved at least 24 people during last week’s lethal snowstorm.
Jay Withey was forced to sleep inside his truck Saturday after the vehicle became stuck as western New York was pummeled by 50.3 inches of snow, according to a report.
MTG ATTACKS TULSI GABBARD FOR RIPPING INTO INCOMING GOP REPRESENTATIVE OVER FALSEHOODS
Withey had initially tried to find someplace indoors, he said.
“I walked to the houses to see if I could find shelter, any house that had lights on. I had $500 that I was offering to sleep on their floor,” he said.
“It’s the only time in my life I actually thought I was going to die.”
Withey was in the car with two other people when it ran out of gas around 6:00 a.m., the report noted.
“Off to the left, I could see there was a school about 600, 700 feet away from us. I knew the power would be on, there would be heat in there, and I was guaranteeing there would be food in there,” Withey said.
Recognizing he was not alone in his situation, Withey gathered other stranded people and made a plan to get into the school, the report noted.
Withey and at least 24 people, including seven senior citizens, entered the Pine Hill Primary Center and used the main area in the cafeteria.
The group only took up the space and ate the food it needed without touching the fully stocked freezer, according to the report.
Before leaving, Withey fixed the broken window the group used to enter the school and left a note.
“To whomever it may concern, I’m terribly sorry about breaking the school window [and] for breaking in the kitchen,” the letter read.
“I had to do it to save everyone and get them shelter and food and a bathroom. Merry Christmas Jay.”
School officials and authorities were notified of the incident, and police thanked Withey for his actions.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“Do you recognize ‘Merry Christmas Jay’? He pulled people from cars & sheltered them in a nearby school,” the Cheektowaga Police Department tweeted. “He left a note apologizing for the damage & use of the snow blower he used to make a path to the school. We want to thank ‘Jay’ for his heroic actions that saved people’s lives.”