A Boulder, Colorado, police officer turned a stressful Thanksgiving 2025 crash into an unexpected moment of kindness after helping a stranded family of five get safely back to their hotel, even paying for their Uber XL out of his own pocket.
The incident unfolded early Thanksgiving afternoon at the busy intersection of Foothills Parkway and Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder, where a two-vehicle collision with airbag deployment injured multiple people and shut down the northbound lanes, according to a CRIMERADER report. Authorities said the crash remains under investigation.
While everyone survived the wreck, one family — two grandparents traveling with their three young grandchildren — suddenly found themselves stranded. Their rental car had been totaled, and with the holiday shutdown, nothing nearby was open.
Even worse, the rental company reportedly wanted several hundred dollars to send a replacement vehicle. Meanwhile, the family’s hotel was far outside Boulder.
Boulder PD saves the day
Are you Serious?
— Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) December 9, 2025
It was early afternoon this past Thanksgiving when our Traffic officers responded to a serious crash at Foothills Parkway and Arapahoe. Thankfully everyone was okay, but a pair of grandparents with three young grandkids from out of state were stranded after their… pic.twitter.com/psMsp09mR7
Boulder Police Department traffic officers stepped in immediately. In a social media update, the department described the moment one of their officers realized just how stuck the visiting family was.
“Are you serious?” the update began, recounting how Traffic Team officers brought the family back to the warm police department. While there, they entertained the kids with candy and worked to find a solution.
The department added that Officer Bergh ultimately “paid for an Uber XL out of his own pocket to get the family safely and comfortably back to their hotel.” The family later permitted the heartwarming story to be shared publicly.
Other stories of officer kindness
The Boulder PD gesture quickly spread across social media. Comments compared the act of kindness to their own experiences with compassionate officers.
One commenter recalled an encounter after being released from a 48-hour DUI hold in rural Iowa. With no taxis or Ubers available in the dead of winter, the local police chief and his wife personally drove the commenter 13 miles to a small hotel.
“I sent them a gift basket, in thanks. 
,” they wrote, saying the Boulder officer’s actions immediately brought the memory back.
Another commenter wished there were a way for locals to pitch in during emergencies like this one. “Aw, I wish there was an emergency volunteer hotline,” they wrote. “I would have been more than happy to buy them a meal and transfer them back to their hotel. How scary for them.”
The department praised Officer Bergh’s decision to step up without hesitation, calling his actions “nicely done.” For the visiting grandparents and kids who found their holiday turned upside down, the small act of generosity may be what they remember most from an otherwise frightening day.
