Deputy prays for speeding driver's mother battling cancer

An Idaho deputy is being praised after he pulled over a speeding driver and ended up praying for her mother who was battling cancer.

It wasn't a typical traffic stop for Kootenai County Sheriff's Deputy Matthew Brakeman. He said the driver in Hayden was going ten miles over the speed limit, with her mother in the passenger's seat. 

"Driver was not very happy to be stopped," Brakeman said. "So I spoke to her for a moment."

The deputy said he asked the women, identified as RaeAnn Kuykendall, where they were headed. RaeAnn told him they were going to the oncologist and then she started to become a little bit emotional.

Brakeman then walked over to the passenger side and asked the driver's mother if she would accept a prayer. 

"She said 'absolutely' so we prayed and then I told them to have a good day and went back to my car." 

Brakeman said he lost his mother to cancer. 

"I know the feeling," he said. "Because there's the letter of the law and there's the spirit of the law. And, these particular folks, I don't think they were violating the spirit of the law though they were violating the letter. I think they needed some love, and we all do."

Deputy Brakeman had no further contact with the driver and her mother, but RaeAnn wrote a message on the department's Facebook page. 

"The officer that pulled me over didn't give me a ticket but instead went over to my mums side of the car, got down to her level and gave her a beautiful prayer. Needless to say I emotionally lost it but thankful for him pulling me over at that moment and offering his kindness to us. I don't know the officer's name that stopped me but I want to thank him for his blessings and for hope," she wrote.

According to RaeAnn's Facebook page, her mother lost her fight against cancer several days ago.