‘Tis the season for … angels, compassion, caring, helping people in need and doing it with unconditional love.

Justin Biggs

This is a story about the coming together of a family from Upper East Tennessee and a unique team of folks here – Knox County Trustee Justin Biggs, his executive administrative assistant Monica Shingles, Det. Logan Sammons from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and a host of Knoxville Fire Department (KFD) heroes who will all say they were “just doing our jobs and we aren’t heroes.” To use the cliché that fits this – everyone went above and beyond to do what needed to be done.

On Monday, December 2, 2024, a 55-year-old grandmother with COPD and using oxygen, Penny Murr, was driving her 10-year-old granddaughter, Gracie Nelson, and Gracie’s deaf mother, Jenny Murr, from their home in Telford, Tennessee, through Knoxville to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis to meet with doctors about Gracie’s condition.

It was approximately 5 p.m., close to darkness, on I-40 West in jam-packed traffic as usual for that time of day. Murr’s Honda Sonata engine started smoking and then the flames began. Trucks and cars were blowing their horns. Driving a little behind her and flashing her lights was Shingles.

By the time Murr steered the car to the side of the road she was on the ramp to I-640 East where she stopped. Shingles stopped as well to assist the family after they safely got out of the burning car.

Det. Logan Sammons

An unidentified woman at the scene called 911. Shingles called her boss and Biggs listened to what was happening and called a guy he knew who could and would help, Det. Logan Sammons. He was working a part-time security job that afternoon. Sammons and Biggs have been best friends for many years. Sammons left the job and headed to I-40 to help and he let KCSO dispatch know what was happening.

The first responders there were a pair of Tennessee Department of Transportation (DOT) HELP trucks who helped with traffic. Then came the KFD Engine 5’s team from Station 5 just off Western Avenue – and it took only three minutes for Engine 5 and Tanker 1 from downtown to arrive.

Bottom line – the Murr family all survived, but the story does not end there.

Gracie is, of course, central to the story. Her grandmother says she has three non-cancerous tumors on one side of her brain and two others growing on the opposite side. She has a rare hereditary genetic disorder – neurofibromatosis – that causes tumors to grow in the nervous system and skin. Gracie has already had one surgery at St. Jude’s. Jenny, 31, has the disorder too and has been through five surgeries, three for tumors and two for reconstructive plastic surgery. She lost her hearing during the surgeries and this outcome awaits Gracie after a future surgery at St. Jude at some point, maybe in 2025.

Penny Murr is working to find the money for a rental car to make the roundtrip to Memphis. Jenny has an older model car and Penny says it would never make the trip to Memphis and back.

KFD Capt. Danny Stewart and firefighter Michael Bravine

The family lost everything that was in the fire. Suitcases filled with clothes, shoes and everything they packed. Their cell chargers. Personal belongings. All that was left were the clothes on their backs and the shoes on their feet, with no relatives in Knoxville to help.

“We couldn’t just leave them out on the interstate with nothing,” said KFD Capt. Danny Stewart from Station 5. “We had to take them somewhere and find a place for them to stay for the night, help them get what else they needed and make sure they were safe. They were in a bad situation for sure.”

Stewart got clearance to bypass department policy and loaded the family into the Tanker 1 truck driven by master firefighter Josh Gilliland. He then drove them to the Red Roof Inn on Kirby Road and Gilliland helped them check in. Once there, Det. Sammons started getting the sizes of the clothes and shoes they all needed. And they were hungry. So, Sammons left the hotel and bought pizzas and drinks and returned with “dinner” and then left again to buy them cell phone chargers at a nearby AT&T store.

KFD Batt. Chief Chip Key

While that was happening, two KFD angels went shopping. Gilliland was joined by Battalion Chief Chip Key from Headquarters Station downtown and they met up at a Walmart. “We bought them the clothes they needed, plus PJs, and shoes and some personal care items too,” Gilliland said. “We felt fortunate to be there and to help them out. We had to do whatever we could for them. They were still kinda in shock from what all happened and scared. Anyone would have hated to be in their situation.”

KFD Firefighter Josh Gilliand

And on a personal note, Gilliland and his wife gave the family a $200 VISA gift card in case they needed money for food and anything else to get home. A family member from Washington County drove down and took them home on Tuesday, December 3.

Last week Penny Murr spoke about the ordeal.

“I have to say that what all of those people in Knoxville did for us was amazing and there’s no right way I can ever thank them all,” she said. “And those firemen … every time I think about what they did I start crying (and she started crying on the phone).

“They made sure we were OK, and they got everything they could from the car that wasn’t burned up and then took us to the hotel. And then they went shopping for clothes and such and food for us. And somebody even got us new phone chargers. And they didn’t know us from Adam.”

She paused and said to give her a minute to calm down. “OK, now, I apologize for my emotions, but I don’t know if I have any tears left. These people in Knoxville hugged us, loved us, and it made so much of a difference for us. You just don’t ever forget kindness like this from people you don’t even know. No one’s ever done anything like this for us. It’s a miracle they were there for us. God was involved in this and I’m sure he’s blessing these angels who helped us.”

‘Tis the season!

Tom King has been the editor of newspapers in Texas and California and also worked in Tennessee and Georgia. If you have someone you think we should consider featuring, please email him at the link with his name or text him at 865-659-3562.

Our Town Hero is sponsored by Aubrey’s Restaurants.