WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Between a canceled train and an Uber ride on Interstate 95, a Williamsburg teen was trapped in DC for 27 hours earlier this week during the snowstorm.
15-year-old Antonia Ward settled into her seat for what was supposed to be an eight-hour train ride from New York City to Williamsburg early Monday morning.
"I woke up and I seen that there was snow outside," she recalled
The conductor told them they were stopped in Washington D.C.
"A train derailed in Fredericksburg, the tracks are really icy, there were some train accidents and basically, we’re not taking any chances."
After waiting on the train to move for 10 hours, they finally told everyone to get off.
"My heart dropped," she said.
Ward had never been to D.C. before and not knowing what to do next, she called her step-mom.
That's when they decided to book a $200 Uber ride at 1:00 Tuesday morning to finish the drive to Williamsburg.
"We start driving. We get to I-95. This is where things take a turn," said Ward.
She and her driver, DaVante Williams, sat in the 40-mile gridlock with hundreds of other drivers for six hours overnight.
"It’s cold. DaVante is running out of gas," she recalled.
She was on the phone with her parents and her boyfriend for most of that time letting them know what was happening and assuring them she was safe with Williams.
Finally, she says Williams followed some other cars and was able to turn around and get off the interstate and back to D.C.
That’s when he booked Ward a hotel room by the train station, so she could wait out the traffic jam and make other plans to get home.
"I actually felt safe with him, like I actually did," Ward said. "I suffer from really really bad anxiety, so the fact that I felt safe with him is very rare."
Ward said Williams offered to come back and complete her ride to Williamsburg once the interstate cleared, but a family friend was able to pick her up at around 6:00 Tuesday night and drive her home.
Alone and scared in a nightmare situation, she said she can’t thank Williams enough for looking out for her.
"To be lucky enough to have a good person that was looking out for me, a complete stranger at that, it was really lucky."
Uber shared Williams’ story on Twitter saying "Not all heroes wear capes."
"Mr. Williams went above and beyond during this very stressful situation, and we thank him for his thoughtful actions," an Uber spokesperson told us in a statement.
They also said the company has reimbursed Williams for the hotel expense.
Now, according to Ride Alto's Twitter account, Williams has been offered a job with their D.C. Operations. They describe themselves as an "upscale ride-sourcing service.”
Ward said if he’s reading this, she has a message for Williams now that she is home safe.
"I just want to thank him. Shoot, I even to give him a big old hug. He was really looking out for me and I really appreciate that a lot. Like, a lot. So does my mom, my step-mom and my dad. They're really thankful for him."