THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 23, 1996 TAG: 9608210139
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 38 lines
Strangers' kindness to motorist appreciated
The worst nightmare of a woman driving alone, in a neighborhood unfamiliar (actually I was lost), happened to me a short time ago. But so many strangers stopped to help me that it really calmed me down.
I was looking for the home of a child to be interviewed for her wish from Make-A-Wish Foundation. The directions I was given and my map did not exactly mesh and I was trying to find it. The address was in Chesapeake and I had inadvertently driven into the Berkley area. I had rolled over a railroad spike that flattened my tire with a loud noise.
I stopped to see what my problem was and very soon a young woman stopped to offer help. I have a CB but was shaking so hard I couldn't activate it. She took me to her baby sitter's house where I called the family I was to interview and AAA for road service. This lady took me back to my car.
We saw a Virginia state trooper and frantically waved him down. He was Trooper E.R. Eversole. When I related the steps I had taken he said he could do no more but advised me to stay inside the car as the area was not safe.
The trooper and the lady left and soon after a man from Ford Motor Co. stopped to see if he could help. When I told him, he added that if someone came who looked suspicious to start driving as I could not do more damage to the tire. Shortly after, a trucker stopped to help. He too advised me to stay in the car. Then the volunteer who was to meet me at the child's home came to pick up the information I had with me.
A Norfolk police car was coming toward me. I put my blinker on and she stopped. She offered to radio AAA to see how much longer when the tow truck arrived. The Norfolk police woman, Officer Cando, offered to stay with me to be sure I was able to get on the highway to the bridge and back to my home in Norfolk.
I'm still a bit shaky but am so very grateful for the kindness of so many strangers.
Jane H. Frieden
Norfolk by CNB