MIAMI TWP., Montgomery County — Her car caught fire while she drove down the highway.
Now, she is thanking another driver who stopped to help.
News Center 7’s Molly Koweek spoke with both women, who said they are grateful for their chance encounter.
Denise Fox of West Carrollton was headed north on I-75 when she knew something was wrong. As traffic zoomed by, fire roared under her car.
“Very scary,” Fox said of the ordeal. “I looked down and it was smoke, fire was drip, coming and it was underneath it and there you go, it burned up.”
But she didn’t have to go through this on her own.
Rhonda Blanton was headed home, when she saw the smoke.
“I told the friend that I was with, ‘Pull over, I’ve got to help, I’ve got to make sure everyone’s OK,’” she said.
When they pulled over, Fox was overjoyed.
“I said, ‘Oh there’s people here, people, and I’m so grateful.’ I’m very grateful and blessed that they stopped,” Fox said.
Blanton said she wanted to stop because she knows what it feels like, when no one does.
“My son was killed two years ago, a hit and run on a motorcycle and no one stopped to help him,” she said.
Her son, Jimmy Blanton died after a van struck his motorcycle in 2016. The driver still hasn’t been found.
Blanton said she’s glad she could be there today for Fox, in a way people weren’t for her son.
“Kind of puts my heart at rest,” she said.
Fire officials want to emphasize that anyone in a similar situation should immediately pull over, get out of the vehicle and get to a safe spot, just like Fox did.
“Everybody did exactly what you would hope they would to do stay safe,” said Glenn Jirka, Miami Valley Fire District battalion chief.
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