One of the biggest fears for any parent is watching their daughter drive across the country alone, knowing how unpredictable the road can be. The breakdowns, the wildlife, the long stretches of nothing — it’s the kind of fear you try to shake off, hoping it never actually happens.

But for me, it did.

I was on my way to school, somewhere in South Dakota — a place I’d never been before — with about nine hours behind me and ten more to go. It was 10:45 PM, pitch black, with hardly another car in sight, when it happened.

A raccoon suddenly darted out onto the highway.

I didn’t even have time to think. There was no avoiding it.

The impact wasn’t just a bump in the road — it was a disaster. My bumper cracked, the grill shattered, and the radiator was completely broken. Steam hissed out from the front of my car. The engine lights lit up like a Christmas tree. I pulled over, heart racing, hands shaking, and quickly realized: this car wasn’t going anywhere.

We were stranded — 15 miles from the nearest town, no gas station in sight, and no idea what to do.

That’s when I called 911. And that’s when Trooper Regan came into our lives.

He arrived quickly, but more than that — he arrived with calm, kindness, and care. He didn’t just do a routine check and drive off, leaving us to sort out a tow in the freezing night. No, he stayed.

He stayed beside us, making sure we were safe. He let us sit in the warmth of his patrol car, offering quiet reassurance while we scrambled to make plans. Not once did he rush us or act like we were an inconvenience.

He could’ve handed us a tow truck number and left. But instead, he waited with us. When the tow truck finally came, he took the time to explain everything to the driver, made sure they would give us a ride into town, and even helped us find a hotel for the night.

He stayed until he knew, without a doubt, that we’d be okay.

It might sound like a small thing. But when you’re far from home, in a state you’ve never been to, in the middle of the night, shaken and scared and unsure of what’s next — it’s everything.

And what struck me most was something he said while we sat in his car. He told me his daughter was getting ready to leave for college soon. I saw it in his eyes — this wasn’t just a job to him. He wasn’t just helping some stranger on the side of the road.

He saw me like a father would. Like his daughter.

And in that moment, his kindness made all the difference.

In today’s world, especially online, it’s easy to focus on the negative. There’s so much criticism, especially toward law enforcement. But what we often forget is that there are men and women out there like Trooper Regan — people who quietly show up, go above and beyond, and make someone else’s worst day a little less awful.

So to Trooper Regan — I don’t know if you’ll ever read this, but I hope you do.

Thank you. Thank you for seeing me, for treating me with compassion, and for protecting me in a moment when I needed it most. You didn’t have to do everything you did. But you did it anyway.

To your daughter: You’re heading out into the world with an incredible example of kindness, integrity, and strength. Your dad is a true hero — not just in uniform, but in the quiet way he showed up for someone else’s child like she was his own.

I’ll never forget that night in South Dakota. And I’ll never forget you.

Someday, I’ll pay it forward — because you showed me what that really looks like.

God bless you and your family.