Four drivers came to the rescue of a disabled man
Q Last Thursday at about 1:45 p.m. as I was beginning to merge onto south Highway 85 from El Camino Real, I noticed an elderly man in a motorized wheel chair trying to guide his chair down the curb cut out to enter the crosswalk and cross the on ramp. I stopped to allow him time to cross and witnessed him lose control of his chair and topple over.
I immediately pulled to the right, turned on my hazard lights and went to him. He was struggling to get up, but clearly was unable.
— Kathy Rowan, Los Gatos
A Then others jumped into quick action.
Q Looking around for help, I noticed a man on a bicycle starting into the crosswalk. I called to him for help and he immediately parked his bike and ran over.
— Kathy Rowan
A And more help was on the way.
Q Next a couple in a pickup began to pass us on the ramp. They rolled down their window and I called out to them asking for help. They pulled over a short distance down the on ramp and the man came running back to help. — Kathy Rowan
A Another hero was around.
Q
Next a large white truck pulled up and the driver ran up to help. These three wonderful men righted the chair and helped the man get back into the chair. Once we had the chair and its owner settled, I waved oncoming traffic to stop and the bicyclist assisted the man across the ramp and all the way across the the 85 overpass.
— Kathy Rowan
A And …
Q It was then that I took a close look at the sidewalk cutout for wheelchairs and noticed that there really is no longer a cut out. Where it may have once been there was only large broken up concrete, dirt and weeds.
I want to thank the three men who helped today and I also want to ask you to see if you can let the right people know that this handicap sidewalk needs urgent repair. This could have so easily been a horrific accident.
— Kathy Rowan
A Thanks to you and these men, it was moment to be proud off. I’ve alerted Caltrans and repairs should be coming.
Q Regarding the note from Lois Grace (“Sorry for driving so close in front of you”), my favorite was a bumper sticker I saw many years ago on the back of a big rig: “You who follow so close behind, are you lonesome or out of your mind!”
— Steve Paine, San Jose
A Truckers have a way with words.
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