Photo: Istock
When she sees what's happening on the nearby railroad tracks, this mother does not hesitate a second
19-year-old Ashely is a hero because she helped where other people looked the other way. When the severely handicapped Earl (75) from Illinois gets stuck in the train tracks with his wheelchair, the young mother rushes to help him and even leaves her small children alone. With that she saved the life of the old man.
Ashley was just making lunch to her children when she heard cries for help from the nearby train tracks. She does not hesitate, though her children McKayla (2) and Destin (1) are left alone in their caravan. "I looked out of the kitchen window and saw him sitting there on the tracks, " says Ashley. Earl sits in a wheelchair and can not free himself from the train tracks . Two cars and a motorcyclist have already passed him and have simply ignored his distress.
Earl screams for help in his fear. Ashley immediately realizes that it's about life and death. Every second could come the next train. As Ashley sprints from the caravan, she still calls a neighbor to take care of her children . But when she reaches Earl, she quickly realizes that the wheelchair is so hooked that she can not free him.
Ashley Aldridge Hero http://t.co/7n1ABvEWbE pic.twitter.com/nBnqAUQype
- oddepia (@newstermer) September 23, 2015
At the last second, Ashley manages to save Earl . "I almost freaked out. But I think that was when the adrenaline rush came. I pulled the wheelchair aside and pulled it out and then the train hit the wheelchair. The first thing I thought was that the train caught him because it was so tight. "
Ashley saves Earl's life. The approaching train completely shattered the wedged wheelchair. In the meantime Ashley is not only the heroine of her city, but also Earl's "new granddaughter".
Ashley also has an important message for all those who looked the other way when Earl was in trouble: "If no one is around, do not assume that someone else is going to help. Just do it."
Ashley, the Hometown Hero, Saved A Man's Wheelchair was stuck on the train tracks. http://t.co/nhlG0nB0IQ pic.twitter.com/DlTJmpUfHP
- GoFundMe (@ gofundme) September 30, 2015
