FORT WORTH — The Jason Jordan family had a weekend that they won’t soon forget.
Jordan, 26, his wife and five children were stranded when their van broke down on Interstate 30 in east Fort Worth on a hot Friday afternoon.They were more than 150 miles from their home and there was no easy way to move seven people.But assistance came within minutes from Officers Jacob Boldin, Craig Chambers and Jeremy Keys, and by the end of the night, other officers from the department’s east division.The officers directed traffic and moved the van off the freeway and they all chipped in more than $30 so the family could eat at a nearby IHOP restaurant. Officers also contacted Pastor Randy Hardisty who paid about $60 for a hotel room for family to stay in Friday night. Hardisty is a member of Clergy and Police Alliance (CAPA), a public service group that helps with the needs of families and crime victims in the area."There was nowhere we could go for help," Jordan said Sunday in a telephone interview from his home in Omaha, Texas, which is about 160 miles northwest of Fort Worth.Officer Chambers said it was a team effort."They had no a/c, one of the kids was getting sick," Chambers said on Sunday. "But whatever it took, we were going to try and do it for them."It all started about 5 p.m. Friday as the Jordan family was finishing a day in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They had been to a doctor in Dallas for one of their children and then spent a few hours at NRH20 in North Richland Hills.Beth Jordan was driving east on Interstate 30 near Eastchase Parkway in east Fort Worth heading for Mesquite where the family planned to attend a rodeo.Jason Jordan is a volunteer firefighter in Omaha going through a fire academy in Northeast Texas. One of his children _ Hannah, 4 _ has had a life-threatening illness. The Jordans other children are Jonah, 8; Caleb, 3. Levi, 2 and Isaac, 8 months."It just stopped in the middle lanes," Jason Jordan said of the van. "It turned out to be an electrical problem, but I thought for sure we’re going to get hit."Within minutes, Boldin arrived on the scene and called for help. Once they arrived, officers went to work to get the family home.Chambers became the unofficial coordinator. He negotiated with a tow truck driver, called members of CAPA, searched for a place for the family to stay and looked for mechanics.“I even called my Dad to see if they could stay there,” Chambers said. “You just had to look at them and you knew they needed help.”By the end of the night, the Jordans stayed at a Motel 6 paid by Hardisty, pastor of Trinity Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth.“If an officer calls, I will reach out to all resources available to meet their needs,” Hardisty said. “It’s important that God gets all the glory.”On Saturday morning, friends and family picked up the Jordans and a truck came to tow their van.“I’m from a small town,” Jason Jordan said Sunday. “We help each other out there, but I’ve never seen help like this before. I’m very grateful.”Domingo Ramirez Jr., 817-390-7763
