RED BAY | A motorist in Red Bay was somewhat puzzled Thursday as to why he was getting blue-lighted and pulled over by a Franklin County Sheriff’s deputy. The reason: His headlights were not on after the required time of day, which is 30 minutes after sunset.
While traffic stops of this nature would normally be handled inside city limits by the Red Bay Police Department, Deputy Colt Montgomery decided a stop needed to be made.
After checking the driver’s license and insurance documentation, Montgomery left him with something he didn’t expect: a gift card.
Thanks to very generous donations from more than 50 businesses and individuals throughout Franklin County, Sheriff’s deputies have been stopping motorists for actual traffic violations or probable cause – by law they have to – but instead of giving them a ticket, they’ve left them with something that has touched them much more deeply. Around 150 gift cards to businesses in the county, such as Piggly Wiggly and Big Star in Red Bay and Walmart in Russellville, to name a few, were being given away after officers worked to raise the funds.
“The idea came years ago when I worked here in Red Bay,” said Investigator Kyle Palmer. “It just never materialized until this year. We started working on this October 11. Some of the businesses gave us gift cards to give out, but most just gave money to buy gift cards. We spent all the money in Franklin County.”
Palmer said the department tried to spend money in or around the communities from where it was raised, and likewise deputies were trying to make stops and give the cards to people in the general areas – western Franklin County, central/Russellville, and easter Franklin County – from where the support was raised.
To say the project caught area drivers and residents off guard is an understatement.
Thursday afternoon, Montgomery was actively monitoring traffic around and east of Red Bay for opportunities to pull over motorists and brighten their holidays. The first motorist to benefit from the project was a teenage girl who had pulled too far across the white line at a traffic light at Highway 19 in Red Bay.
“She said she thought she was about to get grounded,” Montgomery said after giving her the surprise – but also advising her to be more careful on the roadways. She was on the phone with her parents when Montgomery approached her vehicle. She wasn’t even sure where her insurance information was located. The young girl was relieved and somewhat stunned by the turn of events – and she even admitted she knew she was too far across the line.
For some motorists, the gift cards have come at moments they definitely needed them. With recent job layoffs affecting many families in the area, the extra $25 to $100 from the gift cards will go a long way toward filling a refrigerator or finishing Christmas shopping.
Another motorist Montgomery stopped was having a different sort of day, and a traffic citation would have just piled on to her misery.
“She said she was upset because a friend had just been taken to the hospital,” Montgomery said after finishing the traffic stop east of Red Bay. “You could tell she was emotional.”
Montgomery said after the department began making the stops a week earlier and the activity was reported on a Huntsville television station, there had been some confusion as to how the officers were making the stops.
“We’re not just stopping random cars just to be stopping cars,” Montgomery said. “People were afraid that some of the deputies were stopping vehicles just to stop them and give them a gift card. That’s not the case at all. We’re stopping cars legally, where we have probable cause or there’s been a traffic infraction. It’s not just random stops. That’s totally not cool.”
Montgomery said actual legal reasoning was required in case during the course of the stop officers actually found something or came across a situation that required an arrest or a citation. Otherwise, not having that probable cause could completely jeopardize what would have been a legitimate arrest or ticket.
List of donors
The following individuals and businesses donated to help make this year’s gift card giveaway possible. The names of those who wished to remain anonymous in their donations are not included.
Kaye and Nick’s Playhouse
Alabama Gun & Pawn
Kontoor (Wrangler)
Akins Funeral Home
Crimson Tide Sales
Tennessee Valley Armory
Green’s Dependable Hardware
M&N Towing
Representative Jamie Kiel
Barry Stidham
Singing River Dentistry
A&L Building Materials
The Pawn Shop – Muscle Shoals
The Pour House Grill and Bar
Cypress Creek Indoor Range
55 Towing
Dr. Alan Sherill
Tammy Thomas
Wooten Chiropractic
Leisure Creations
Spry Memorial Chapel
Mayfield Auto Sales
Vedika, Inc (Littleville Chevron)
Jerry Little Trucking
Tires & More
Transco Express
McCormick Trucking
Brian’s Auto Sales
Atkins Marble & Granite
Freddie Mills Body Shop
Miller’s Affordable Furniture
Farmers Warehouse & Franklin Co Exchange
Samantha Stone – Kameo Salon
David Ward Properties
G & G steel
Brians’ Auto Sales
Big Star RB and RV
Community Spirit Bank
Long Lewis Ford
Joseph Rushing
Jeff Barksdale
CJ’s Grocery, Bait, & Tackle
Emergency Wear, Lori Wear
Willow Oak Lodge
Barry & Deedra Moore
Franklin County Commission
1st Class Glass
Southern Defense
Town of Vina
Vina Mayor Michael Moomaw
CVS Russellville
Parkers Distributers
CB&S Bank
