Woman Praises Motorist Who Rescued Her on Freeway

Thank you, brave stranger who risked his life for mine on the Riverside-Newport freeway in the middle of the afternoon on Aug. 8 in a heavy traffic flow.

He saw that I had been forced to run over a spilled, large wooden box, flatten it, and then skid several feet forward to an abrupt stop, causing my right front car wheel to be embedded in the box like a trap. I couldn’t extricate my car, either by driving forward or in reverse.

Running my window down on the driver’s side, I extended my left arm out into the air, flailing wildly and screaming for help.

This man, driving a pickup, saw my plight, pulled over on a shoulder at the right side of the road and parked--and then darted across three lanes of fast-moving traffic to stand at my immobile car, direct traffic and advise me what moves to make.

Heeding his commands, I sharp-turned into the lane to my right and the box broke free! I escaped shaking and crying--not able to stop and thank this wonderful, kind, brave “Good Samaritan”--I could only throw back an anguished look of gratitude to whomever it was. God bless him!

DOROTHY S. JACOBSEN

San Clemente

DR