He Couldn't Free Her From The Car — So He Held Her Hand Until Help Came

July 30, 2025

When Nathaniel Bunn witnessed a car flip onto its roof in Pittsburgh’s Chateau neighborhood, he didn’t hesitate. With his son and father by his side, he jumped out of his car and rushed toward the wreckage.

The driver was trapped inside, silent and unseen. Bunn and others tried desperately to pry open the door—one bystander even brought a tire iron—but nothing worked.

That’s when Bunn made a decision that had nothing to do with tools or rescue techniques.

Nathaniel Bunn held a woman's hand until help arrived | WTAE

“I resigned to sit down and just told her to hold my hand,” Bunn told WTAE. The driver reached out, and held on.

“She squeezed it for comfort,” he recalled.

Even though she didn’t say a word, Bunn offered quiet reassurance.

“You can squeeze my hand, for comfort. Everything’s going to be OK. We can't get the door open, but just hang on. Help’s on the way.”

What troubled him most was how many others stood by filming the scene instead of helping.

“I was feeling kind of in despair,” he said. “Just because of how the world was going on.”

Nathaniel Bunn holding her hand

Still, he stayed there in the street, holding a stranger’s hand, until paramedics arrived.

Later, he called the hospital to check in.

“They said no one’s in critical condition,” he said. “I didn’t even know her name.”

Bunn hopes she’s recovering—and that the moment reminds others of the power of compassion.

“I'm glad that I was there to help her, and hope she was comforted by my actions,” Bunn said. “If you see somebody in this situation where you can help, try to help them. Don’t be selfish.”