Man stranded in deadly US storm breaks into school, leaves apology note

(Image credit: Cheektowaga Police)

Stranded in the snow in Buffalo, New York, Jay Whitey, 27, had to make a difficult choice. He was in his truck, running out of fuel and worried that he would die.

Last week, he had stepped out to save a trapped friend, CNN reported. But while on the road in Cheektowaga town, he found himself contending with snow several feet tall. He got out of the vehicle to do the impossible task of shovelling the thick snow.

Desperate, he also tried seeking help from the houses nearby. He pleaded but no one agreed to shelter him.

Whitey had let two other people into his truck. When one of them needed to go to the bathroom, he turned on his GPS and found a school nearby. He broke a window and entered the school with his two companions.

In the school's vicinity, Whitey saw other people, some of them senior citizens, stuck in their cars.  He managed to get 10 people inside the school.

The police were alerted by the school authorities but they couldn't answer the call due to the weather. Later, when they reviewed CCTV footage from the school, they saw heartwarming scenes.

Inside the school, members of the group took care of each other and only used what they absolutely needed.

"There was a freezer full of food but no one touched it," the police said. "They only ate what was necessary to stay alive. They used the gym for the kids to play and pulled the smart boards out of the classrooms to watch the news for updates."

Whitey even left a note apologising to the school for damaging their window.

"I am terribly sorry for breaking in," he wrote. "I got stuck at 8 pm and slept in my truck with two strangers, just trying not to die. There were seven elderly people also stuck and out of fuel. I had to do it to get everyone shelter and food."

He ended the note with "Merry Christmas, Jay".

Whitey was widely lauded for helping shelter people from the storm

The Cheektowaga police chief spoke to Whitey to thank him for his efforts.

Meanwhile, the group that sheltered together said they felt like a family and were planning to spend a summer together.