BEIJING: When a ride-hailing driver suddenly experienced severe stomach pain and requested his passenger to take over the wheel to exit the highway, she instead drove him directly to the hospital.
On July 14, He Shimin, a blogger, arranged a ride-sharing service as she planned to travel from Guangzhou to Shunde, both located in southern Guangdong province.
While on the highway, the driver, surnamed Wang, suddenly spoke in a weak voice, expressing that he did not feel well and asked if He could drive the car off the highway.
He later recounted in her video that she was initially dazed and somewhat apprehensive about the driver’s request.
She inquired about Wang’s specific symptoms. He described feeling pain “in the area below his ribs.”
“I have never felt such anguish,” he said. “After we exit the highway, you can hail another taxi. I apologise for the inconvenience.”
The passenger agreed to Wang’s request. Once Wang parked the vehicle in an emergency zone on the highway, she swapped seats with him.
As she took her place behind the wheel, she continued to comfort Wang.
“Do you need some water? Don’t worry, I’m quite skilled at driving. I won’t speed. We’ll be at the hospital shortly,” He reassured Wang in the video clip.
Wang called his family, and his nephew arranged to go to the hospital to accompany him for medical treatment.
Upon arriving at the hospital, He hurried to find emergency doctors. Following the doctor’s guidance, she also rented a wheelchair for Wang to use.
She retrieved Wang’s identification documents and a bottle of porridge from the car before handing them over to his nephew.
This was because Wang had mentioned that he had eaten the porridge before developing symptoms, so doctors could examine the food if they needed to investigate his condition.
Wang was later diagnosed with a kidney stone. Thanks to the prompt medical attention he received, he was recovering well, as reported by the news website Red Star News.
The following day, both Wang and his nephew sent He messages to express their gratitude.
“Thank you so much, Little Sister. I feel much better now. The doctors advised me to drink more water and take it easy,” Wang said.
His nephew wrote: “Thank you for taking my uncle to the hospital. I apologise for the inconvenience we caused you.”
The ride-hailing platform also expressed their thanks to He and refunded her fare.
“Thank you for offering a helping hand when our driver was unwell. Your composure, calmness, and compassionate heart deeply moved us,” remarked the company.
In response on social media, He stated that she merely did “an ordinary thing.”
“It was within my capability. If someone else were in my position, they would do the same,” she said.
“At that moment, I told myself I had to help because he is someone’s father and son. Fortunately, there is no serious issue with him,” He added.
She mentioned that she recorded the entire process to have evidence in case of any unforeseen accidents.
The incident has since garnered 2.5 million likes on mainland Chinese social media.
“Anyone would admire this girl with a beautiful heart and her efficient handling of the situation,” commented one internet user.
“What an incredible Goddess! I hope she enjoys an infinitely bright future,” added another. - South China Morning Post
