Bad driving isn’t always the minor nuisance that causes major road rage. Sometimes, bad driving is a sign that the person behind the wheel needs help.
That was the case when a motorist stopped his truck at a stop sign in Oceola Township, Michigan, and never got going again. A line of angry cars quickly accumulated, honking and beeping away at what appeared to be a distracted, irresponsible driver. However, as seconds passed, 16-year-old Max Greenwood started to worry that something might be wrong.
“A few people were honking and a couple of people passed him because they were frustrated he was stopped,” Greenwood remembered. “I didn’t want to just honk and be a dirt bag like that.”
Max Greenwood jumped out of his car and ran up to the truck, ready to help in any way he could.
“At first, I thought he was broken down,” he explained.
But when Greenwood reached the driver’s side window, he found a man who appeared to be extremely disoriented. He couldn’t remember his name and he didn’t know where he was. Greenwood told the man to pull over and immediately called the police.
“It’s a person,” Greenwood said, when asked why he was so prepared to help the man. “If I was in his situation, I would want someone to help me.”
With the help of EMS, the man was taken to a hospital to receive medical attention. Later, Greenwood learned that the man may have been suffering from low blood sugar.
911 manager Joni Harvey said that Greenwood’s behavior was “unusual” for a teen. “I think it’s inspirational that a young person was trying to be a good Samaritan,” she said.
Greenwood’s mother, Mary Pudelko, was also surprised and impressed.
“You preach to your kids that you need to do the right thing, and when he did I was really proud,” she said. “In this day and age, when a lot of kids don’t think about anyone but themselves, he stepped up and it made a difference.”
“I always try and make an effort to help people on the side of the road,” Greenwood said.
While it may seem like a small act of kindness, it’s important that we all remember Max Greenwood’s example in an age of congested cities and major traffic jams. Impaired drivers can lead to lost lives, but people like Greenwood can help to stop tragedies before they happen.
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Source: KREM; featured image credit: Flickr/Richard Masoner
