Butler County Salt Truck Driver Helps Lost Elderly Woman On Christmas
BUTLER COUNTY (KDKA) -- It was a Christmas Shane Thumma said he will never forget.
"This is why I always said it was a Christmas miracle meant to be," said Thumma.
Thumma works as a salt truck driver for PennDOT during the winter.
He was on his routine run in Butler County and wearing a festive hat when he noticed something on the side of Warrendale Road.
"I pulled up beside them and it was a little old lady in her nightgown and I immediately stopped, got out, and started to have a conversation," said Thumma.
Thumma said the woman seemed confused as to where she was going.
"The story changed so many times. She was going to her house. She was going to somebody else's house," said Thumma.
Thumma had the woman climb into his truck.
"It was actually a job getting little Sally all the way up into the plow truck. She had to step over my side wing plow," said Thumma.
Thumma said he called his boss and met police at a nearby GetGo and they took care of the rest. Thumma said taking the extra 45 minutes that night to re-supply his truck with salt before hitting Warrendale Road turned into a blessing in disguise.
"Whether it was just my precaution of safety or God telling me just to maybe take a little extra time," said Thumma. "Somebody getting out of a big monstrous truck and looks a little like Santa Claus she probably couldn't have been any happier. I didn't have no reindeer but..."
He did bring with him his Christmas cheer.
