I just finished writing a heartbreaking story.  On Monday morning, 22 year-old Dustin Estepp of Duffield, Virginia, stopped to help an accident victim along Interstate 81 in Smyth County.  As he was trying to help, a passing truck forced him to jump over what he thought was a guardrail.  It was not a guardrail.  Instead it was a 50 foot bridge.  Although the accident victim escaped with just minor injuries, Estepp died.

His death forced Photojournalist Shawn Davis and I to approach this story differently tonight.  Often times, we don’t second guess standing on the shoulder of a busy highway to shoot video.  Tonight, we didn’t take any chances.  There’s always the thought that something bad could happen, but Estepp’s death is a reminder that you never can expect anything.

I wonder if his story forces others to change their ways too.