Aaron Tucker was trying to find work after leaving prison when he saw an overturned car during a bus ride to a job interview. He got off to help the injured driver, knowing the bus would leave without him.
The interview mattered. Tucker, 32, was living in a halfway house in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and wanted to support his young son.
But on July 12, 2017, a stranger needed immediate help. Tucker joined workers from a nearby auto shop in rescuing the driver, then used his interview shirt to help stop the man’s bleeding.
He missed the appointment. In the days that followed, people offered donations, clothes, and employment opportunities. The restaurant also gave him another chance to interview.
Featured photograph: Greater Bridgeport Transit buses in 2015, shown for context. This is not an image of Tucker’s bus or the rescue. Photo: Dj1998d / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. No editorial changes.
A journey to an interview took an unexpected turn
Tucker had served nearly two years in prison and was rebuilding his life. He was staying at a Bridgeport halfway house and looking for work.
On the morning of the crash, he was traveling toward a restaurant interview in Stamford. As his bus passed through Westport, a car crashed on Post Road East and overturned.
According to WestportNow’s reporting from the scene, police said the car crossed the center lines, struck a tree, and flipped over.
Tucker left the bus to help. The driver had told him he would not wait.
What had begun as a trip toward a possible job became an emergency response alongside people Tucker had not known before.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. No editorial changes.
He used his interview shirt to help the driver
Workers from Vautrin Auto Services rushed over after hearing the crash. One brought a fire extinguisher because smoke was coming from beneath the vehicle.
Tucker and the other rescuers helped get the injured driver out. Tucker took off his dress shirt and used it against the man’s bleeding head wound.
The local account identified three auto-shop workers involved in the response, along with a police officer who arrived shortly afterward. Tucker played an important part in a rescue involving several people.
Contemporary Associated Press coverage confirmed that he missed his interview after helping the driver from the smoking car.
The verified account does not require a claim that Tucker acted alone. He stopped, joined the rescue, and gave what he had with him to help.
Strangers offered support in return
As the story spread, Westport resident Karin Dale contacted Tucker and, with his permission, started a GoFundMe campaign.
ABC News reported on July 15, 2017 that donations had passed $23,000. People also offered clothing and help preparing for job interviews, including assistance for other residents of the halfway house.
The support continued to grow. A July 17 Daily Voice report put the fundraising total above $53,000 and reported that Tucker had asked supporters to stop sending money.
Those figures describe the campaign at different points in July 2017. This is a historical account, not a current fundraising appeal.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. No editorial changes.
The missed interview was rescheduled
The opportunity Tucker had been traveling toward was not lost for good.
In a July 16 follow-up, WestportNow reported that Dale accompanied him to Stamford, where he interviewed at Dinosaur BBQ on Saturday. Another interview was planned while he considered other opportunities.
Job offers were reported, but they should not be confused with a verified long-term employment outcome.
What is clear is the sequence of events. Tucker interrupted his search for work to help someone in danger. Other people then helped him continue that search.
He had been traveling to ask for a chance. When the emergency came, he stopped to help a stranger first.