Driver dressed as Spider-Man pushes wheelchair user across six-lane road in Jonesboro, Arkansas
Christopher Hellenthal, 20, was driving home from a superhero event when he saw a man in a wheelchair struggling to cross a six-lane road in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Still in his Spider-Man costume, he pushed the man to safety seconds before the light changed.
The rescue
On Tuesday, 21 July 2026, around midday, Christopher Hellenthal was driving his red Jeep home from a superhero-themed event at a trampoline park in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Still wearing his Spider-Man costume, he stopped at a red light on a six-lane road and noticed a man in a wheelchair attempting to cross. The man was moving slowly, and the pedestrian signal was about to change. With heavy lunchtime traffic waiting at the intersection, Hellenthal realised the man would not make it across in time. He put his vehicle in park, jumped out, and sprinted toward the wheelchair.
He was trying to make it across the street, and he was having a lot of trouble. He wasn't going to make it. I was already in the suit. I just got out real fast, and I just helped him along, adrenaline pumping through me.
Hellenthal pushed the wheelchair user to the opposite curb just seconds before the traffic light switched from red to green and the waiting cars began moving again. The entire sequence lasted only moments but was captured in full by a city surveillance camera positioned above the junction.
Caught on camera
The Jonesboro Police Department obtained the traffic camera footage and posted it on social media later that day. The video shows a figure in a red and blue Spider-Man suit sprinting across the intersection, then calmly pushing the wheelchair to safety as vehicles remain stopped at the line. The department added a caption that quickly became part of the story.
Not all heroes wear capes, but sometimes they are dressed for the moment.
The post spread rapidly, accumulating tens of thousands of reactions within hours. Commenters praised the act, with remarks such as "Thank you for posting this. It shows there are still good people" and "The friendly neighbourhood traffic helper." Many noted the coincidence of a superhero costume appearing at exactly the right moment.
Who is Christopher Hellenthal?
Hellenthal, 20, told the Associated Press that he had always been a big Spider-Man fan. He had attended a superhero day at a local trampoline park that morning and was still in costume on his drive home. When he saw the man in distress, he said he did not hesitate.
I had a ton of adrenaline in my blood. I just thought: I'm wearing this suit, that's going to be pretty funny.
He described Spider-Man as an everyday hero who faces ordinary problems, a character he has admired for years. "He's not very rich. He has everyday problems just like everyone else around here," Hellenthal said. The red Jeep he was driving at the time was stopped in the first row at the intersection, giving him a clear view of the unfolding situation. The man in the wheelchair has not been publicly identified.
Viral reaction
The video's rapid spread turned a brief act of kindness into a widely shared moment of good news. Social media users across platforms reacted with a mix of humour and appreciation, many noting the irony of a superhero costume appearing at exactly the right moment. The Jonesboro police thanked Hellenthal publicly for his quick thinking, and the footage continued to circulate days after the event. The clip became one of the most-shared local news stories of the week, with users describing it as a welcome break from heavier headlines.
