Low On Gas, Woman Helped As Good Samaritan Comes To Her Rescue

MANHATTAN, IL — During a pandemic, it’s the little gestures in life that can have a huge impact on a person amid uncertainty and stress. Karen Baker of Manhattan can attest to that firsthand.

Two days after Christmas, Baker found herself in a bit of a bind: She was low on fuel and needed to fill up soon.

“My warning light was coming on for a while. It kept dinging,” she told Patch. “Almost wondered if I’d make it to the gas station a mile away.”

Relieved, she ultimately made it to a nearby Citgo, but her problems didn’t stop there. As she inserted her credit card into the gas pump, it instructed her to see the cashier. When she approached the cashier, she was informed her card had been declined.

"There is no reason why it should be declined. I have to go call the credit card company," Baker told the cashier at the time.

As she went back to her car at the gas pump, attempting to call her credit card company, Baker was approached by a man parked next to her. At first, she thought he was coming over to see her dog sitting in her car — but that wasn’t the case at all.

He asked Baker, "Do you need gas?"

"Yes," Baker responded. "But I have to call the credit card company first."

As she was on the phone, in what seemed like only seconds, the man proceeded to walk around to her car, put the gas nozzle into her fuel tank, insert his credit card into the pump and begin fueling up her car.

It cost the man about $38 to fill up her car, Baker said. Shocked and in disbelief that a stranger would go out of his way to help her, Baker offered him the $20 she had on her, but she said he refused to accept it.

What may have seemed like a small gesture meant the world to Baker, she said.

“As I was driving through town [after the encounter], I was thanking the good Lord for good Samaritans like him. I believe strongly in God and never forget to praise him when I see things like this happen. God is good!” Baker said.

According to Baker, the man's good deed was the best Christmas gift she’d received in a long time. For her, this simple, kind action from a complete stranger lifted her spirits up more than he could ever know.

"I don't know who he was. If you [the good Samaritan] see this and this is you, bless your heart! You left me speechless!" Baker said. "It's great to see there are still good people out there in the small town of Manhattan."