The Day a Tow Truck Driver Became a Hero

This morning didn’t start like any other—it started with a gut-punch. My son, who is a quadriplegic and relies on a specially modified van to live his life independently, was getting ready to head out when something felt wrong. When he tried to drive away, the front driver’s side tire completely fell off.

All the lug nuts were gone.

The rim was badly damaged.

It didn’t take long to realize what had probably happened—someone had tried to steal the tire during the night. But because the van has a custom lowered floor, it’s impossible to use a standard jack, so they couldn’t get the tire off. They left it in a dangerous, half-dismantled state. And worse—they left my son stranded.

For anyone, that would be frustrating. Inconvenient. Maybe infuriating.
But when you use a wheelchair and your specially equipped van is your only source of mobility and independence, it’s more than that. It’s everything.

We called around to every tow company we could think of. Some said they couldn’t help. Others gave us hours-long wait times.

And then came Jason from On Time Towing in Richmond, VA.

Jason showed up quickly in a flatbed truck. But when he saw the lowered van, he knew it wouldn’t be easy. Most would have just shrugged and said it was too complicated.

But Jason? He got to work.

He studied the van. Thought it through. And then rigged a way to carefully pull the van partway onto his flatbed, just enough to get a jack under the chassis—something most trucks wouldn’t have even attempted.

He then inspected everything and discovered that miraculously, the hub assembly hadn’t been damaged. So he said, “You don’t need a tow—I’ll help you install the spare right here.” He changed the tire right there on the spot, in the hot, sticky Virginia summer sun, without hesitation.

Because of Jason’s persistence and kindness, my son was able to drive himself to an important event that evening. He’ll head to the shop Monday for repairs—but he never lost a day of freedom.

So to Jason, from the bottom of our hearts:
You didn’t just fix a van today—you restored someone’s independence.
You saw more than a broken vehicle.
You saw a person who needed help—and you showed up.

Thank you. You’re not just “on time.”
You were right on time. 🙌