It was Christmas Eve 2005, late afternoon. I was traveling northbound on Broadway extension in Edmond, Oklahoma getting ready to pass over Memorial road. As I approached, I noticed a very old, ugly 4-door sedan sitting in the center grassy median. As I passed this old car I saw that the grass was on fire under this vehicle, and to my amazement there was a young girl sitting in the driver’s seat, totally unaware of the fire burning under her car.

My first thought was I need to help her, then at the same time it occurred to me all the cars that were passing this vehicle and no one was stopping to help.

I immediately made an illegal u-turn to go back and help this young girl. I parked a little further away form her vehicle in case it was going to blow up. I ran to the driver’s side and asked her to get out “now” and informed her that the grass was on fire under her vehicle, “she had no idea.

She was on the phone trying to reach her mother and had not contacted 911 due to the fact she was unaware her “car” was now on fire. I immediately contacted 911 and help was on its way. As I got her out she wanted to return to the vehicle to retrieve her Christmas presents that were in the trunk. I held her back and said; “those can be replaced, but you can’t”! The fire grew in size. The Edmond Fire Dept. showed up and had to block the left hand northbound lane due to the size the fire had become.

As the fire was being put out, her father arrived and she jumps out of my vehicle and ran to him. I waited for a minute or two thinking I would be thanked by her or her father but that never happened. As I drove away not knowing their names my thoughts were mixed with a non-understanding of how people could be so selfish and self absorbed, as most people are. I then thank God, because he must have put me there that day, at that time, to help this young girl.

My heart filled with joy in thinking I probably saved her life on that Christmas Day.


Robin
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