Spider-Man costume helps Jonesboro man in wheelchair cross busy street

Christopher Hellenthal, still dressed as Spider-Man after a superhero-themed event at Ultimate Air Trampoline Park, stepped out of a red Jeep and helped a man in a wheelchair cross a busy Jonesboro intersection.

The man was trying to make it across six lanes of traffic at a red light when Hellenthal, 20, saw him struggling and rushed in to help. Jonesboro police shared traffic-camera video of the encounter, and the brief act of kindness quickly spread online.

The scene stood out because it showed how a routine crossing can become a barrier when a person uses a wheelchair and has to navigate a wide roadway alone. In Jonesboro, Arkansas, the intersection had multiple lanes of traffic moving through a busy stretch of road, turning a simple trip across the street into a moment that required another person’s help.

Hellenthal’s decision drew citywide recognition. On July 24, 2026, Jonesboro’s mayor honored him after the video went viral, and the city also presented him with a special medallion and challenge coin. Local posts and coverage described him as a community hero.

The moment resonated beyond the costume because it pointed to a larger, familiar problem for disabled Americans: too often, safe travel depends on whether a stranger is nearby and willing to stop. Crossing signals, curb access and traffic volume all shape whether a wheelchair user can move through a city independently, and in Jonesboro that morning, it took one bystander in a Spider-Man suit to bridge the gap.

Coverage said Hellenthal hoped to meet the man he helped. For Jonesboro, the image was a bright one: a superhero costume, a red Jeep and a traffic-camera rescue that turned a difficult crossing into a shared act of care.