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CEDAR HILL - They were two strangers, one a stranded college student and the other a businessman on his way home, passing in the middle of the night. But, an act of kindness landed both men in the hospital.
Talking from his hospital bed Tuesday, Randy Dodson showed no signs of regret over his decision to stop and lend a hand.
"We got a broken wrist," he said. "And I thought my foot was broken, but it's really sprained."
Dodson was driving down FM 1382 Monday night when he spotted Chad Williamson, 19. Williamson, a sophomore at Northwood University, had run out of gas, and Dodson stopped to help the teen push his car to safety.
"I was conscious of every vehicle that came around us," he said. "And [when] most of them came around us, you could see them go around and avoid us."
However, there was one problem. Police said while Williamson had placed his vehicle's hazard lights on, as they pushed the car, their bodies blocked the glow of the lights to oncoming traffic. The impact was devestating. A vehicle heading eastbound slammed into them, leaving Williamson with severe injuries, including an amputated leg.
At a forum Tuesday at the university, Williamson's friends shared stories about the struggling college student with chronic car problems.
"Three to four days ago, on the way to the gas station, he didn't make it," said David Dorsey, a friend of Williamson. "We got out. I told him, you need to get this checked out, get this checked out."
It's frustration from a friend who said he knows it could have been worse if not for the kind act of a stranger.
"Helping people is just part of being a neighbor," Dodson said. "That's what we do."
