Editors, Vineyard Gazette;

On Friday at 10:45 a.m. I was driving in bumper-to-bumper, stop-and-go traffic on the Vineyard Haven/Edgartown Road, when my new 2023 Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Jeep unexplainably stopped, would not restart or come out of park.

I could not move and held up a long line of traffic. I felt helpless when out of the blue a gentleman driving in the opposite direction pulled off on his shoulder and proceeded to direct traffic around me and help me attempt to troubleshoot the problem.

The car issues had us stymied when a passing bicycle rider stopped and dove into the 328 page car manual while good Samaritan number one called Edgartown police and officer Jake Silvia responded promptly and summoned a flatbed towing company.

Calls went out to the Falmouth Jeep dealer and their person, with 22 years experience, was supportive but his only solution that worked was the flat bed tow.

Good Samaritan number two was able to decipher the manual and found the instructions which released the parking brake, and good Samaritans one and two then pushed the car to the shoulder with Officer Sylvia offering advice and directing traffic.

The flatbed has now deposited the car in our driveway where it remains inoperable. I am not sure what the next steps are, but I am grateful for these random acts of kindness. I am happily reminded that there are a lot of good people out and about.

Fred Genung

Edgartown