Smooth Cruisin’… Until It Wasn’t

Things Were Going Well-Until They Weren’t

We were cruising along just fine—about 40 miles from Little Rock—when Don’s GPS lit up like a Christmas tree. Red for miles. Beth sprang into action, Google Maps open, scanning traffic updates like she was decoding a secret message. As we approached Exit 193, the slow crawl became a full-on traffic evacuation, with drivers peeling off to take Highway 70.

Don, ever the optimist (and without time for his usual pre-decision analysis), stuck to his guns and stayed on I-40. We figured if it was an accident, they were probably close to clearing it.

Beth kept digging and uncovered the real story: a deadly officer-involved shooting had taken place on I-40 near the 180-mile marker around 1:30 p.m. Troopers and U.S. Marshals had stopped a 33-year-old man wanted for an armed carjacking and kidnapping in Michigan. When he exited his vehicle with a weapon, law enforcement opened fire, fatally shooting him. The area became an active crime scene and investigation zone.

What should’ve been a quick stretch turned into a 2 1/2 hour crawl for 8.5 miles.

Jack, of course, was not pleased. He’s used to arriving at our destination by now—and more importantly, being fed. We were near the Carlisle Airport and got a surprise air show from the little crop duster planes flying overhead. That was pretty cool. We almost got dusted ourselves. 😂Read more