A routine traffic stop changed the life of Abbie Rutledge. In August 2022, the 20-year-old was pulled over on Alabama Hwy. 78 for speeding. She felt her heart sink when she saw the blue lights flashing behind her 10-year-old Toyota. Abbie explained to Trooper J. T. Brown that she was broke and in a dead-end job, so she couldn’t afford a speeding ticket. About 15 minutes later the pair had agreed that Brown would let her off with a warning if she promised to pursue her ambition to become a nurse. Exactly two years later, Trooper Brown was in the audience as Abbie graduated with a degree in surgical technology from Bevill State Community College. Working full-time as a driver for Coca-Cola, Abbie was struggling to decide what she wanted to do with her life. Brown challenged her to find a career and work toward it. Then he shared with her that he had completed the Surgical Tech Program at Bevill State in 2013. Abbie decided to take his advice to heart and enrolled in the program. She said she was thrilled to see Trooper Brown in the audience at her graduation. “I wanted him to see the impression he made on me,” she explained. Brown said he likes to help people and tries to encourage most of those he pulls over. “If I can help people and show them that God is good, it’s a win for both of us. She made my entire career worth it,” said Brown.
