While working in New Kent County, Virginia, trucker Kevin Kimmel pulled into a truck stop. It was late at night and only a few spaces were available, so he parked his semi next to an odd RV on the street because there weren’t many options. “An older RV, black curtains, and in my world that’s not natural,” Kimmel stated. As a long-haul trucker with a lot of expertise, he was suspicious something was wrong, so when a guy knocked on the RV door and walked inside, and the RV began to shake back and forth, he became really concerned.
Kimmel knew something was up when the guy showed up at the RV. Someone had been inside – it seems that someone let him in – and the RV was moving back and forth irregularly, as though a sex act were taking place within.
Then, after seeing something that would never leave his mind, Kimmel witnessed something truly extraordinary. A young woman peeked out of one of the RV’s windows in a hurry. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong…
“So I called the police, and within five minutes, there were four cars there,” Kimmel said.
It was only after the police had arrived that Kimmel learned he was correct. A young woman who had been held captive in an RV was being tortured. Originally from Iowa, a man and a woman were arrested and charged with abducting the victim and forcing her into prostitution.
Kimmel has made it his goal to put a stop to things like this. It’s been some time since he helped the young woman save her life that day in Virginia. Now, as a spokesperson for Truckers Against Trafficking, he is traveling the United States speaking out against human trafficking, which remains a serious problem in America.
“The more informed I got, the more I was interested in becoming part of the solution,” he stated.
He endeavors to raise public awareness of human trafficking while also educating fellow truckers. Because truck drivers spend a significant amount of time on the open road, they are more susceptible to seeing suspicious behavior like what Kimmel observed that day in New Kent County. He teaches truckers how to recognize and deal with situations that appear to be examples of human trafficking.
“That person is alive today, and two really bad people are where they’re supposed to be. Do the right thing. If you see something, say something.”
People have taken to social media to express their adoration for Kevin Kimmel, the truck driver who saved this young girl. Many people are calling him a hero for his efforts in saving this woman as well as raising public awareness of human trafficking’s horrors. Although you may believe that human trafficking does not exist in the United States, it does, and sex and sex slavery continue to be major criminal enterprises.
“Wow! He’s a hero!” wrote one person on YouTube.
Another said, “I have never met a bad trucker. Much respect.”
What do you think about this man’s bravery?
