LOCAL NEWS

Good Samaritan’s Social Media Post Helps U Student Solve Crushed Car Problem

Sep 13, 2020, 10:05 AM | Updated: 10:18 am

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A University of Utah student will soon be back on the road thanks to a viral post by a good Samaritan.

It was a simple act of kindness that made a huge impact.

The Wasatch windstorm on Sept. 8 left behind an extensive amount of damage and, in some cases, simply picking up the pieces wasn’t a solution to the problem. For Brittany Blackham, the storm led to an unwanted surprise.

“It was huge,” said Blackham, whose car was demolished by an uprooted tree. “The tree went all the way into the road. People couldn’t even drive by. … It totally fell, like, just right that it went over my whole car.”

The hurricane-force winds brought the century-old tree down on her Chevy Prizm. As a full-time student on a tight budget, she didn’t know how she’d pay to tow it, let alone replace it.

So as a last resort, she taped her Venmo account to her car window.

Ben Behunin had helped clear the tree off the day before, and he noticed the signs. Not knowing who owned the car, he posted a photo to social media in hopes the small act could help spread the word.

“My though was, ‘If we could raise $5,000 for this girl, that would be awesome,'” he said. “You know, a dollar doesn’t make a big difference to most of us, but to share it with somebody who really needs it – it really adds up.”

Soon, those dollars began pouring into Blacham’s Venmo account.

“People I don’t even know are Venmoing me like, ‘I saw this post from California,’ ‘Saw this post from Virginia,'” Blackham said.

Surprised at the outpouring, she wondered who was behind it.

“I saw this one from Ben,” Blackham said about one of the Venmo donations. “It was like, ‘I’m your neighbor, haven’t met you, I shared this on social media.'”

The two finally met, brought together by service. But for Blackham, it’s so much more than money or replacing a car.

“I feel like this is definitely an upside to my year,” she said.

With Behunin’s help,  Blackham said she has enough money to buy a new car – and she’ll be looking for better insurance options. For now, though, she’s looking for ways to pay it forward.

KSL 5 TV Live

Local News

Man being taken on stretcher to an ambulance figures blurred...

Lauren Steinbrecher

West Jordan man trying ‘to be funny’ allegedly shot and killed best friend

Investigators believe a joke between friends turned into the shooting death of a West Jordan man. The fatal mistake is also turning into a message police hope every gun owner can hear.

10 hours ago

Matt Gephardt meeting with Denis Hawkins after a rental car company after they ignored his calls fo...

Matt Gephardt

Get Gephardt helps Spanish Fork man clear up insurance claim for rental car damage

Get Gephardt clears up an international rental car insurance standstill.

10 hours ago

small housing units...

Debbie Worthen

Utah’s micro-shelter pilot program gets extension to help homeless

A micro-shelter pilot program will stay in place for at least six more months.

10 hours ago

A trench used for training a team of firefighters to be a part of Utah County's Special Response Te...

Shelby Lofton

Heavy Rescue school students respond to real-life emergency during trench collapse training

A team of firefighter students training to be on a Special Response Team rescued a man buried in a trench collapse the week they'd been studying trenches.

10 hours ago

The Cache County Council took up the e-mail controversy...

Mike Anderson

A single text stirs political fallout in Cache County election

A text message is blowing up into a whole lot of political fallout in Cache County.

11 hours ago

A map shows where the Chief Toquer reservoir will connect to the Ash Creek Reservoir....

Cary Schwanitz

Feds pour $7 million into southern Utah water pipeline project

A project to build a new pipeline that will run from the Ash Creek Reservoir to the Chief Toquer Reservoir received $7 million from the bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

12 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Women hold card for scanning key card to access Photocopier Security system concept...

Les Olson

Why Printer Security Should Be Top of Mind for Your Business

Connected printers have vulnerable endpoints that are an easy target for cyber thieves. Protect your business with these tips.

Modern chandelier hanging from a white slanted ceiling with windows in the backgruond...

Lighting Design

Light Up Your Home With These Top Lighting Trends for 2024

Check out the latest lighting design trends for 2024 and tips on how you can incorporate them into your home.

Technician woman fixing hardware of desktop computer. Close up....

PC Laptops

Tips for Hassle-Free Computer Repairs

Experiencing a glitch in your computer can be frustrating, but with these tips you can have your computer repaired without the stress.

Close up of finger on keyboard button with number 11 logo...

PC Laptops

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Laptop to Windows 11

Explore the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 for a smoother, more secure, and feature-packed computing experience.

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

Good Samaritan’s Social Media Post Helps U Student Solve Crushed Car Problem