The accounts civilians along that stretch of highway would later give to the police and reporters—and the frantic footage captured on their phones—were remarkably consistent.
A young man in a dark hoodie had appeared in the middle of the traffic jam without warning. Nobody had seen him approach from the roadside, climb out of a vehicle, or emerge from among the stranded motorists.
One moment, he was standing in one place; the next, he was somewhere else entirely. He moved through the congested highway in a smooth sequence of sudden appearances, covering distances so quickly that the human eye struggled to follow his movements.
Each time he reappeared, another member of the criminal crew was taken out of the fight.
A speedster who had chased the delivery rider was the first to fall. The robber was still charging forward when Stan appeared directly in his path, placing himself between the man and the road ahead without the slightest hesitation.
