When the Ice Came, the Jeeps Drove the Nurses to Work

When freezing rain shut down roads across the South in late January 2026, Jeep owners in several states offered the same thing: free rides for nurses and other healthcare workers who could not get to their shifts. In Longview, Texas, one volunteer crew made more than 200 trips in a single storm.

Six Rigs, More Than 200 Trips

The Longview group calls itself the Bucking Jeeps Storm Crew. KLTV reported that it ran six vehicles, Jeeps and Broncos, and made more than 200 trips during the storm.

The drivers took healthcare workers to their shifts at Longview Regional Medical Center and home again. They also carried patients to critical appointments.

Afterward, hospital staff surprised the crew with gift cards for gas and Jeep needs. "It was a big surprise - we weren't expecting it," driver Chris Bridges said.

A Tradition That Began in 2021

Separately, the East Texas Jeep Club in the Tyler area sent seven volunteers out in Jeeps during the same weekend. KLTV wrote that "what began during the 2021 winter storm has become a tradition of stepping up when conditions get dangerous."

Club leader David Featherson gave the credit away. "If you're going to thank anyone, thank my volunteers," he said.

Little Rock to Evansville

The same offer showed up in other cities that weekend. In Little Rock, Arkansas, the 501 Jeep Club drove doctors, nurses and other medical staff with four-wheel drive. President Chancey Strickland said many of them come in the day before a storm and stay through it, and the Jeeps get them back home to their families.

In Evansville, Indiana, the Evansville Area Jeepers ran their own free service for healthcare workers from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. and completed over 200 rides that storm, with more than 80 volunteers. "It's 100% volunteer," club president Ryan Sermersheim said.

Why a Jeep

The drivers are volunteers who bring their own Jeeps and give their own time, on icy roads where many cars cannot go. In Evansville, riders called a number, then texted a name, a pickup spot and a drop-off spot, and a volunteer came to them.

For a nurse on the schedule, that can be the difference between a shift covered and a ward short on staff.