Why does it have to be so complicated? I’m so glad you stopped to help and got the confirmation that you did the right thing.

When the boy smiled and visibly relaxed, that made it much easier for me to help. If he hadn’t been able to look me in the eye, I would have been extremely distraught.

Thanks for your great story.

Claire

As I drove by I wondered if I should go back to help her. But then I worried that she might think I was stopping to hurt or rob her and she’d be afraid of me. On the other hand, I was afraid that maybe she was part of a holdup plot – I’d stop to help and her boyfriend would jump out from behind the car, mug me and take my wallet and car – or worse.

I’d gone about 3 or 4 miles before I finally decided to turn around and go back. There were no other cars on the road heading in either direction. When I passed by her, we exchanged looks and her countenance was one clearly of nervous fear. I made my U-turn and drove past her car a few yards and stopped.

I waited for a moment to see if she would approach my car. I finally got out, walked to the back of my car and then called to her and asked if I could help her, but keeping about ten yards between us.

I was pleasantly surprised when she finally walked over to me and said she really appreciated that I came back. She had been out there for over two hours and no one had stopped and no police had gone by. She was terrified that something bad would happen to her. I asked if she wanted a ride into the next town or if she wanted to stay with her car and have me contact someone in the next town or to send a tow truck. She asked for me to leave her behind and to go get help.

I got her name and address and the license number of her car and the mile marker. She asked if I had any water or food that I could share. I had some chips and a can of warm Coke that I gave her. She was so appreciative. I left her there and drove about 20 miles into the next town, went directly to the local police station, identified myself, and gave them her information. They immediately dispatched a patrol car at high speed to give her assistance – and also called a tow truck.

The officer in charge thanked me and told me that I’d done the exact right thing. He told me that some local hooligans often checked out the remote back roads looking for abandoned cars and stranded motorists. “That’s about the only crime we have in this town.”

He asked me to stick around until they got the lady safely into town. I agreed, and then went to get some lunch while I waited. About 30 minutes later I saw the patrol car and the tow truck come back. She was sitting in the patrol car.

As I walked over to check on her, she ran over and gave me a big hug. She told me that three fellows in an old pickup truck passed by several times, checking her out, and were about to stop just as the patrol car came over the hill with red lights and siren blaring. They made a hasty retreat. That was it.

The police officer verified my name and address and then told me that I was free to leave town whenever I wanted. I offered to buy the lady lunch, but she declined, but thanked me again. “If you hadn’t come back and stopped to check on me, I have no idea what might have happened.” I never heard another word about what happened after that, but I felt a great deal of satisfaction that I’d been able to suppress my own fears and try to do the right thing.

I’m sure that the two of you also felt some measure of satisfaction about what happened to you.

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