Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

A head-on collision occurred on Oct. 17, 2025, in Patrick County. (Amie Knowles/Dogwood)

We got such a late start on our weekend trip to Tennessee. My husband was getting over an illness; it took a hot minute to do all the necessary chores that morning. My son was constantly asking if I’d packed his Switch 2, and anything that could grate on my nerves was doing just that. You’ve seen the chaotic scene before Kevin’s family left on their trip in “Home Alone”—this was worse.

Keeping an eye on the arrival time on the GPS, we opted to swing by a drive-thru for lunch and head up the mountain toward Lover’s Leap in Patrick County. Just as we started ascending the mountain, we hit a traffic jam—and our GPS blocked off US Route 58. After a couple of minutes, we turned around in a driveway and rerouted, taking the road toward Ararat—but when we got around Claudville, traffic came to a dead stop. We were about four or five vehicles back, and it looked like some type of work truck was stopped sideways on the road, blocking both lanes.

One man, whom we dubbed Red Shirt Guy, had pulled his pickup truck and trailer to the side of the road right behind the work truck. He was out walking around and, at least from my view several vehicles back, didn’t appear to be panicked. The door of the work truck was open, and it seemed as if the driver had maybe taken a curve too fast or hit a nearby dead raccoon and then hit a tree.

I took out my phone to zoom in to see better. The reporter in me snapped a couple of photographs, talked about how much it sucked that the local hospital—which closed its doors in 2017—was no longer right up the road, and thought about what type of article that would make (Editor’s note: This article originally published in October 2025; since then, a hospital has opened in Patrick County).

Still, no indication of panic or urgency. Red Shirt Guy wasn’t flagging down other drivers to come and help or behaving in a way that tipped me off that maybe there was something I could do to be useful. So I sat. I waited. That’s part of the bystander effect—a scenario when, as Psychology Today puts it, “the presence of others discourages an individual from intervening in an emergency situation.”

Dear Grace,

There’s a new guy on my job site who is a veteran, and all the guys know he did two tours. They, of course, thanked him for his service, but a few days in, one guy started making fun of him, saying he has PTSD and is scared of fireworks. The other guys were laughing and going along with it. 

Now I don’t tolerate unkindness like that to anyone, much less someone who served. So I told them not to do that. As a mom of boys, I am comfortable telling men to “can it and be nice.” I didn’t think twice about it.

But later, one of the guys at work told me I shouldn’t have said that because it makes me seem too sensitive. I’m one of the only women at this job. Now I’m anxious that I should be acting differently or keeping my mouth shut.

Should I not have said anything? Should I focus on keeping my head down? I don’t want to lose my job or become the butt of their jokes.

— Anxious in Alaska

Dear Anxious in Alaska,

First of all—good for you. If I had been in your veteran coworker’s shoes, I’d be so grateful that someone spoke up for me. But I understand why you’re feeling anxious now. So many women (especially those working in industries with mostly men) have felt that same knot in their stomach after doing the right thing. 

When women speak out in a way that challenges the status quo, we sometimes get dismissed as “too emotional. But standing up for someone who has served, after he’s been mocked for his mental health, is not “too much.” You did the right thing.

Here is my advice on how to move forward…

Did you know that recent Medicaid cuts could put 10 Virginia hospitals at risk of closure?

“From Southwest to Northern Virginia, hospitals across the Commonwealth are now at risk of closure because of Republicans’ tax giveaway bill for the ultra-wealthy,” US Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) said in a recent media release. “While the rich got trillions in tax breaks, hard-working Virginians are left paying the price. This latest report shows just how cruel and reckless this law is. Virginians, and Americans across the country, deserve reliable access to affordable, quality care.”

In light of this, we’re posing a pick-your-question option:

Which potential closure would impact your community the most?

or

Do you have a story of how a Virginia emergency care worker helped you or a loved one? 

Reply to this email, or reach me at amie@couriernewsroom.com.

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