Driver spotted a teen in passing car making a viral TikTok hand gesture and immediately called police—it saved her life
Social media has been quite the "trend" for the last few decades. TikTok, in particular, has been coming up with different practices and ideas that are being followed and accepted by a majority, making them viral. While it is greatly considered to be for entertainment and bonding purposes, one of the viral trends managed to save the life of a missing 16-year-old, per a statement from Laurel County Sheriff's Office. The girl was reportedly being taken hostage by a man and made a viral hand gesture that has been widely recognized on TikTok. A stranger identified the same and immediately acted to save the distressed girl's life.
The man was driving behind the accused man’s Silver Toyota. He noticed the young girl making the hand sign from TikTok. It was a viral hand gesture involving two steps: Tucking the thumb ahead of the four fingers and then closing the fist with the thumb inside, per BBC. The sign has been widely accepted on social media platforms and other sites as one that denotes “being in distress.” “The complainant was behind the vehicle and noticed a female passenger in the vehicle making hand gestures that are known on the social media platform ‘TikTok’ to represent 'violence at home,' 'I need help' or 'domestic violence,'" the statement read.
As soon as the man spotted the sign, he knew the girl was in trouble and called 911. He decided to follow the car until the police got their eyes on the suspect. The Laurel County Sheriffs were given updates about the location through the complainant and waited at the exit to pursue the accused. They conducted a traffic stop on the route and found the Toyota, as mentioned in the call. On further investigation, it was revealed that the girl was a juvenile who was reported missing by her parents a few days ago. “A check through NCIC (National Crime Information Center) confirmed that she was a reported missing person,” the post read. "She was physically shaking, crying," the officer added.
The suspect, 61-year-old James Herbert Brick, had reportedly taken the girl from North Carolina to Ohio and when it was learned that she was underaged, he left Ohio. He had also threatened to kill her dog if she tried to escape, per Sky News. It was during the drive that the girl began to make the gesture that caught the motorist’s attention.
People are commending the County’s work, as well as the stranger who was vigilant and took prompt action. Many others lauded the girl for using the platform’s viral content to save her life. Connie N Gary Perkins said, “A big thank you to the driver that recognized the hand gestures for help that the girl asked for in the car and followed them until help arrived.” Laurie Gilbert wrote, “These hand signals need to be taught to the public so they can be aware of these things when someone is in distress!” Christy Erickson added, “Great job for TikTok, for teaching kids how to reach out.” A Kentucky Sheriff shared how to do the sign, per WHAS11, for awareness and vigilance in the future.