A driver experienced a medical episode while crossing a busy intersection in Boynton Beach, Fla. To her relief, a group of good Samaritans leaped into action, aiding the driver and saving everyone on the road from a potentially life-threatening crash.
Video of the incident on May 5 went viral on Twitter after the Boynton Beach Police Department released traffic footage in an effort to thank those involved.
"It was the kindness of complete strangers," Stephanie Slater, the public information officer for the Boynton Beach Police Department, told NPR. "It was restoring your faith in humanity. It was ... it's beautiful."
The woman was driving on Woolbright Road when she suffered a medical episode, police say. Her car then began drifting into the intersection at Congress Ave., when people noticed something was wrong.
A co-worker of hers was the first person to respond, according to the police. She quickly got out of her car, signaling to other drivers something was amiss, and others followed suit.
"Our understanding is that they both left work, and they were in lanes next to each other," Slater said. "And so, co-worker looked over and saw her co-worker slumped over the wheel."
On Thursday the police released additional footage that shows the quick-decision making of the co-worker.
More video of this act of heroism! We have been in touch with several of the Good Samaritans and will be honoring them/reuniting them with the woman they rescued tomorrow afternoon. Thank you. @WPBF25News @WPTV @CBS12 @wsvn @WPLGLocal10 @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/hQgFvl5RiN
— bbpd (@BBPD) May 12, 2022
Soon after, a band of strangers put their bodies in the way of the vehicle to stop it from moving further into the intersection, and aided in redirecting traffic.
The group was then able to break a window with a dumbbell and enter her vehicle, authorities said. They moved her car safely to a convenience store and called 911, where she received medical attention.
The woman is currently doing well, according to Slater, who spoke with her employer.
"She's fine. She's OK," Slater said. "I was told that she was at work today."
The driver's employer reached out to the police for assistance in finding the people who helped her. That's when authorities looked through traffic camera footage of the incident and released it to the public.
While the police department has been able to locate some of the people involved, they declined to release any more information at this time. The police are planning for the good Samaritans to be recognized publicly for their efforts.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
