Quick-thinking passerby comes to jogger’s rescue

Q Last month at lunchtime, my husband was running along Fremont’s Ardenwood Boulevard near his work when two large pit bulls from a homeless encampment ran toward him and knocked him down. One was barking and snarling, while the other latched onto his foot. He was lying trapped on the ground on a busy street.

Just then he heard a car screech on its brakes, slam on its horn and turn sideways next to him. The driver told him to hop in the back seat. Since the horn scared off the dogs, my husband felt it was safe for him to walk back to his office.

Still shook up, though, he never got the driver’s name to thank him.

After my husband started walking, he heard the dogs again, realized someone else could get hurt and he needed to call the police. He flagged down another motorist to borrow their phone. Two animal control trucks came and dealt with the dogs. My husband went to urgent care. His foot was very bruised and sore, but he didn’t need stitches.

If not for that smart, fast-thinking driver, things could have been much worse. I hope he knows how grateful we are for his heroic behavior that day. — Kaaren Marquez

A A great story. The rescuer was quickthinking and heroic. Today we hear stories of people who came to the rescue for someone in need on the road.

Q Driving on a mountain road, we saw two elderly women standing next to their car with a flat tire, trying to figure out how to use a jack. One had the jack upside-down, while the other was reading an instruction manual.

My offer to help was accepted. After I changed the tire, they tried to give me $20. “No, it is my pleasure to help whenever I can,” I said. They replied, “Then will you accept some of our homemade jam, from our blackberries?”

Blackberry! My favorite!

— Gilbert Villagran

A

Some rewards are better than money.

Q

We were on San Pablo Avenue in Pinole when we came upon a woman getting out of her disabled vehicle blocking one lane. My good-hearted wife pulled into a parking lot. Before she could cross the street, two vehicles stopped and a man from the strip mall was crossing the street to help.

Turns out the woman ran out of gas. One of the people in the vehicles went home to get a gas can. Within a few short minutes, four people stopped to help a damsel in distress.

— Judy Lau, Pinole

A These stories restore our faith in the goodness of many others on the road. More Good Samaritan stories Friday. Happy Thanksgiving!