Dr. Nick’s Reflection: Hero Spotlight – Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper J. Hedrick and Communications Operator D. Reiche
At 11:16 PM on February 23, 2025, on Interstate 55 in Troop C - St. Louis County, a moment of life or death unfolded in the blink of an eye. A wrong-way driver was barreling down the highway, an all-too-common and devastating situation that has claimed the lives of far too many innocent people. In that moment, Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper J. Hedrick did something that only a true hero would do—he put himself directly in harm’s way to save others.
Most of us go about our daily lives, driving down highways, going to work, coming home to our families, without thinking much about the men and women who make that safety possible. We don’t often stop to consider the troopers who patrol our roadways at all hours, responding to crashes, stopping dangerous drivers, and ensuring the roads remain safe. We don’t think about the dispatchers on the other end of the radio, keeping their voices steady in the middle of chaos, guiding officers through emergencies with calm precision. But when disaster is moments away, when the unimaginable is about to happen, it is these individuals who step forward without hesitation, putting their lives on the line so others can live.
On that February night, Trooper Hedrick didn’t hesitate. He didn’t think about the fact that he could be seriously injured. He didn’t pause to wonder if someone else might intervene. He made a split-second decision to put himself in the direct path of a wrong-way driver, taking the impact so that others wouldn’t have to. His quick thinking and selfless bravery likely prevented a catastrophic crash that could have resulted in multiple fatalities.
The wrong-way driver, later found to be intoxicated, walked away from the crash without injury and was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). But Trooper Hedrick, who absorbed the force of the collision, sustained only minor injuries. His actions that night were the definition of heroism—placing himself in danger for the safety of total strangers, people he had never met, people who will never know just how close they came to tragedy.
But a hero’s story doesn’t stop there. Behind every trooper on the road, there is another unsung hero—the communications operator.
That night, Communications Operator D. Reiche was the guiding voice in the storm. Every officer in the field relies on dispatchers to be their lifeline, to keep them informed, to coordinate responses, to send help when they need it most. When adrenaline is pumping and every second counts, it is the dispatcher who remains calm, collected, and steady.
When Trooper Hedrick called in the emergency, Reiche responded with professionalism and composure, ensuring backup was on the way. In those crucial moments, there is no room for panic. The ability to remain focused in the midst of chaos is a gift that few people have, but every great dispatcher possesses. They may not be the ones standing in front of the danger, but without them, officers would be alone, without direction, without support, without the critical resources that keep them safe.
We live in a world where first responders often go unnoticed. We assume the roads will be safe, that help will be there when we need it, that if something bad happens, someone will show up. But who are those “someones”? Who are the people who step in when disaster is looming? Who are the ones who put themselves in danger for the sake of people they have never met?
They are the state troopers patrolling the highways at midnight, stopping reckless drivers, preventing tragedies before they happen.
They are the dispatchers answering the calls no one else wants to make, staying calm when the world is spinning out of control.
They are the ones who rush toward danger when everyone else is running away.
And yet, so often, they go unnoticed.
The dangers they face are real and constant. Every traffic stop could be their last. Every call to assist another officer could end in tragedy. Every wrong-way driver, every high-speed chase, every attempt to stop a drunk driver is a calculated risk that could cost them their lives. But they do it anyway. Because that’s what heroes do.
Wrong-way drivers are among the most dangerous situations on the road. These incidents happen fast—there’s little time to react, little room for error, and the consequences are often fatal. It takes a level of instinct, training, and fearlessness that few possess to intervene in those moments. Trooper Hedrick displayed all of these qualities when he made the decision to put his patrol car in the path of that vehicle. He knew the risks. He knew what could happen. And yet, he still acted.
This is Troop C. These are the men and women who serve with honor, integrity, and selflessness. They don’t do it for recognition. They don’t do it for awards. They do it because they believe in protecting others. They do it because if they don’t, who will?
We often say that not all heroes wear capes. But maybe we should say that many heroes wear badges, and some speak through a radio. Trooper Hedrick and Communications Operator Reiche didn’t ask to be called heroes, but there is no other word to describe them.
So today, if you see an officer, a dispatcher, a firefighter, an EMT—thank them. Take a moment to acknowledge what they do, because they are the reason we get to live our lives with a sense of safety and security. Their sacrifices, their risks, their moments of courage go unnoticed far too often.
To Trooper Hedrick and Communications Operator Reiche, your actions that night were nothing short of heroic. Your quick thinking, bravery, and calm leadership under pressure saved lives. Missouri is safer because of you. The people on that highway that night may never know how close they came to tragedy, but because of you, they made it home.
And at the end of the day, isn’t that what heroes do? They make sure others get to go home.
—Dr. Nick
