What began as a worrying roadside stop after noticing three stranded men with their vehicle on a jack unfolded into a moving tannie’s willingness to help. A gesture that turned a difficult moment into a blessing for everyone involved!
Free State, South Africa (09 September 2026) – After leaving Bethlehem in the Free State early one morning for the long-distance trip to Barberton in an old 1973 Mercedes, Jacquie Brits and her son had no idea what awaited them along the way.
At 8.15 am, they took what they described as a notorious back road through Vrede, en route to Carolina, dodging terrible potholes while trying to make good progress. Then, exactly 19km from Vrede, that “thing” happened — the one most drivers notice and hope the next car will stop for: stranded motorists on the side of the road with their car on a jack.
But Jacquie wasn’t most drivers. Although her car was full to the brim, she was on a tight fuel budget and was quietly questioning whether stopping to assist three male strangers was a good idea; she slowed down and pulled over near the stationary vehicle.
“Against raging protest from the left front seat (her son in the passenger seat), I proceeded to approach the men with my bravest face. I must say they looked very sceptically at this 56-year-old tannie approaching them, but I had an ace up my sleeve,” said Jacquie, who considered herself a capable mechanic after working on her own car for 20 years.
After introducing herself to the stranded men and asking what had happened, they pointed to not one but two flat tyres — the result of an unforgiving pothole.
“Now let me be honest, my heart sank as I stood there pondering the easiest way out of this situation. I did not remotely feel like getting involved any longer, as one rim was totalled and the other tyre was sliced. I asked them if they had called for help, and they said yes; they had phoned someone in Vrede the day before around 12pm, right after the incident happened. But apparently that help never came,” Jacquie recounted.
Realising that the men had likely been stuck in their small VW Jetta since the day before, with nothing to eat or drink and exposed to the cold, Jacquie’s motherly instincts kicked in.
“I think the help never came because they couldn’t afford it. Now I am by no means a rich person, but as God works His mysterious ways, we had received a generous donation at our gig the previous night, so we were better off than we had planned. I made the call to load both tyres and drive the 17-odd horrendous kilometres back to town to try and fix this mess and get them home, which was 200km the other way.”
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Long story short, the gentlemen at the tyre shop were extremely helpful. Jacquie and her son also stopped to buy canned sardines, bread and cool drink for the men waiting on the roadside.
“Exactly an hour later we were back, much to their relief — and, I think, amazement.”
Though the mission was not an easy one, and Jacquie wrestled with whether approaching people she did not know was the right thing to do, the pull on her heart did not lead her astray. After all, she knew what it was like to be alone and in desperate need of help.
“I’ve been stranded too, and I’ve been helped by angels, and I recognised that look of absolute relief he gave me when we left. For us, it was fantastic to pay forward our blessings,” she said.
When the stress and anxiety had finally eased for everyone, they took a moment to snap a few photos before parting ways. Each of them returned home safe and sound.
One of the men later sent a message thanking Jacquie and her son for going above and beyond to get them back on the road and for being a true blessing.
In the end, Jacquie’s kindness turned a frightening roadside delay into a reminder that one brave decision to help can restore hope when it is needed most.
Sources: Jacquie Brits
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