LOCAL NEWS
Good Samaritans help Utah drivers stuck in the snow
LEHI, Utah — As the snow kept falling and blowing over roads on Wednesday, strangers stopped over and over again to help stranded motorists.
“It was just really icy underneath it so you’re just sliding around and spinning wheels,” Branden Raleigh, who managers a Maverik gas station in Lehi said.
Raleigh had to leave for work at 5:30 this morning. Her normal commute is about 15 minutes but this morning it took her more than two hours to get to work.
VIDEO: Good Samaritans stopped to help this semi-truck that got stuck after sliding and jackknifing in Lehi.
The first pickup truck tried to help but the tow strap broke. The 2nd truck had a chain and successfully pulled the semi free. @KSL5TV @KSLcom @kslnewsradio pic.twitter.com/LKv51IbliI
— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) February 22, 2023
She got stuck four times and each time strangers stopped to help push her car free, including a police officer.
“I’m just very thankful,” she said. “One thing I really love about Utah, you can sit there for a couple of minutes and know that somebody’s going to stop and help you out and they’re always very kind and don’t expect anything in return.”
The drifting and blowing snow made driving hazardous by covering roads and reducing visibility.
“It got me high-centered up on the middle of the street,” Aubrey Mack from Eagle Mountain said.
Thank you to Pepe from Legacy Pavers for helping get our @KSL5TV news SUV out of a snow drift. His truck even had some difficulty in the deep snow.
This was in the park and ride lot on Timpanogos Hwy next to I-15 in Lehi@KSLcom @kslnewsradio pic.twitter.com/76uuEuejWy
— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) February 22, 2023
Mack’s car was stuck in the deep snow near Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. He started digging out but quickly got help from people driving by who pushed his car free.
“A lot of people out here ready to get me out of the snow,” Mack said. “I don’t know if that’s a normal thing but there was people walking around ready to just: ‘Hey, I got you. I’ll help you.’ “
And good Samaritans came to the aid of a semi-truck driver whose rig slid while making a turn, jackknifed and got stuck. A pick-up truck used a chain to successfully pull the semi. One of those who stopped to help was Colton Brown, who was delivering food orders but also stopping to help those stuck in the snow with his pick-up truck.
Lehi City said the amount of snow had its streets department using equipment that hadn’t used in years .
This video (courtesy of Lehi) shows crews using a grader to clear a residential street.
LIVE update from Utah County next on @KSL5TV at 6:30. @kslnewsradio @KSLcom pic.twitter.com/DKUDLwOnxC
— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) February 23, 2023
“Sedans. SUVs. We pulled out two SUVs today,” the Santaquin, Utah resident said.
Brown said they helped more than a half-dozen people throughout the day.
“It just feels good to help people,” he said. “I’ve always been a person to help people.”