NAHUNTA — Six days of being stranded with a broken down vehicle ended Tuesday when good samaritans took action.
Wayne Morgan said he had heard a man’s truck had broken down in the Burger King parking lot along Hwy. 82 and he had been there a “few days.”
“I stopped to check on him,” said Morgan recalling the chance meeting Monday afternoon, August 17. “I found out his name when someone called out ‘Mr. Robert’. When I asked him how long he had been in the parking lot he told me six days.”
Morgan said he did find out ‘Mr. Robert’ used to live in Waynesville. Now homeless, his 2002 Ford Ranger was his home.
“He told me he had been trying to get some help,” said Morgan of ‘Mr. Robert’s’ needs. “I don’t know from where he’s tried, but he needs some help.”
During the ordeal to get his truck operational, ‘Mr. Robert’ told Morgan local churches and individuals had brought food to him for which he was very thankful.
According to Morgan, ‘Mr. Robert’ is an amputee who uses a wheelchair when he exits his truck to get around. His mode of motor transportation, however, was in dire need of a rear end.
“He had been working on the truck as much as he could,” Morgan said. “He had torn it apart and didn’t have very many tools to work with. He had crawled underneath and done what he could. He called a shop in Jacksonville (Fla.). They wanted $1,000 and for him to pull it down to their shop.”
Morgan informed the gentleman he had tools.
“I remembered one time a family passing through Nahunta broke down and my grandfather, who owned a shop, helped them and did not charge a penny,” said Morgan. “He worked on the vehicle all day long and got them going. He was just trying to help them out.
“So, I just knew that I had to help ‘Mr. Robert’ somehow. I didn’t have the money, but I had the tools.”
That got the ball rolling. Morgan posted about ‘Mr. Robert’s’ situation on Facebook that night when he got home. Morgan said Lonnie Bradley contacted him soon after saying he had a good rear end which would fit.
Bradley told Morgan he would give the rear end to ‘Mr. Robert’.
Bradley loaded up the rear end and brought it into town Tuesday, August 18. Morgan called a friend to bring “my air compressor and tools.” Michael Flowers, who arrived later in the day, also assisted with the replacing of the entire rear end rather than repairing individual parts.
The group worked from 10 a.m. until approximately 8:30 p.m., despite high temperatures surpassing 110 degrees as they worked on the asphalt in the parking lot.
“It was hot,” said Morgan. “I took a piece of tarp up there to lay on, but it was hot. ‘Mr. Robert’ was right there crawling around with us and helping with what he could.”
Supporters in the community brought large jugs of Gatorade to help quench the thirst of the helpers. There were two industrial fans used to help with air flow.
Flowers also focused on the drum brakes and a leaking wheel cylinder. Around 8 p.m., the work was near completion. Once done, the good samaritans made sure the truck was operational.
Morgan said ‘Mr. Robert’ spent Tuesday night in the parking lot because he wanted to return the tools several more good samaritans had lended to help.
Wednesday morning (August 19), Morgan checked on his friend.
“I helped him load his wheelchair up in the back of the truck,” said Morgan. “He cranked up and took off east towards Waynesville. I hope it stays running. It’s an old vehicle and he actually needs another one.
“I think he really appreciated the community stepping up and helping him. That’s what we do here.”
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