GLEN CARBON - A lawn company owner and a tow truck business owner comforted and assisted a woman on Thursday when her truck was stuck in the railing in the drive thru of Dairy Queen in Glen Carbon.
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Brad Heuchert, a retired insurance adjustor and owner Corner Stone Yard Care, and a friend, noticed a woman in distress at Dairy Queen when her large-size truck became stuck in the drive-thru area. The woman was able to maneuver out of the vehicle to safety, but then came the task of getting the truck out of the drive-thru area.
A tow-truck operator/owner Roger Stunkel just happened to be passing by towing a vehicle and he stopped. Stunkel parked the vehicle he was towing and proceeded to help remove the woman’s truck from the dilemma. Stunkel is the owner of S & K Towing.
Heuchert has been a volunteer firefighter for 36 years, so he is used to difficult situations.
“We tried to calm the woman, named Michelle, of Maryville, and get her to laugh a little,” he said. “We tried to do what we could to remove the truck, but it just happened Roger Stunkel was driving down Glen Carbon Road and he was kind of enough to help. Our equipment just wasn’t heavy enough to do the job; we put some boards under the truck, but couldn’t get it removed.
Stunkel said the wheel was hung up on the curb and he tried to handle the situation like he has many others in his 50 years.
“I pulled over to see what I could do to help and tried to help,” Stunkel said. “I have been doing this (the tow truck business) since 1962 and I have towed thousands of cars. I lifted her truck up with a hydraulic extendable boom and sat it back on the parking lot again. I was glad to help the lady.”
Heuchert said he and his friend tried to make sure the woman knew this was not the end of the world and things would end up OK, which they did.
“Instances like this one are why I became a firefighter,” he said. “I started Corner Stone Yard Care because Christ is the cornerstone of our life. The whole foundation of our little company is to help people with whatever they need. That is the main reason I wanted to be a firefighter. If someone is hurt I knew I could always help.
“The woman gave us a big hug and wasn’t upset when it was all over. We didn’t do this for recognition; we just tried to help.
"Sometimes in life all you need is a big hug and thank you for a good deed.”
