A tow-truck driver in South Carolina told a local media outlet he left a woman at the scene of her broken-down vehicle, because he noticed a Bernie Sanders campaign sticker affixed to her bumper and the spirit of God told him to hit the road.
"Something came over me," said Ken Shupe of Shupee Max Towing in Traveler's Rest, describing how he responded to the scene of a crashed car, spoke briefly with the driver, then saw the Sanders bumper sticker.
"I think the Lord came to me and he just said get in the truck and leave. And when I got in my truck, you know, I was so proud because I felt like I finally drew a line in the sand and stood up for what I believed," Shupe told WLOS-TV.
Shupe was asked by a friend to pick up Cassy McWade after she got into a crash on Interstate 26 in Asheville, North Carolina - about 45 minutes away.
McWade, who has Crohn's disease and arthritis, told the TV station Shupe was "nice" as he started to prepare her car for towing, then changed his mind.
"[He said] 'I can't tow you.' My first instinct was, 'there must be something wrong with the car,'" she said. "And he says, 'no, you're a Bernie supporter.' And I was like, 'wait really?' And he says, 'yes, ma'am,' and just walks away."
Shupe, who supports presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, said his decision on the side of the interstate was more about business than politics.
He said he's had difficulty receiving payment from other customers with "that kind of mindset" and as a result, has decided to stop doing business with them.
"I walked behind her car and that's when I saw it. She had a 'Feel The Bern' sticker," Shupe said. "She had a big Bernie Sanders sticker in the back window, which is all good. I was polite to her. I said 'ma'am I'm not going to be able to tow your car today.
"I said 'I'm sorry but, it's obvious you're a Bernie Sanders supporter and a socialist, and I think you need to call the government to get them to tow your car for free,'" he added.
Shupe said he has received "tremendous" support from people who defended his right to refuse service on the basis of his political beliefs — and others who suggested the Sanders supporter needed a “wake-up call.”
But his towing service's Yellow Pages and Facebook profiles have also been flooded with critics who questioned his Christian sincerity and mocked his support of Trump.
"As a Christian conservative, I don't like being crucified about what I believe," said Shupe, in defending the decision.
McWade said she was shocked the ordeal made national headlines.
"That's just a bad business. Jesus wouldn't treat people like this," she said.