35 Years After A Tragic Night, A Woman Finally Finds The Stranger Who Stayed By Her Side

October 6, 2025

When Jennifer McLaughlin was just 9 years old, her world changed forever on a rainy night in Fullerton, California.

A devastating car crash took her sister’s life — but amid the chaos and heartbreak, one stranger’s kindness became a light she would remember for the next 35 years.

woman finds stranger who helped her as child 35 years later
Jennifer and Rhonda / ABC7 News

Jennifer doesn’t remember much about that night in 1990 — not the crash itself, not the ambulance lights, not even the cars on the road. But she remembers her.

That woman was Rhonda Ray, a young mother who happened to drive by the accident scene. When she saw the wreck, she didn’t keep driving. She pulled over.

“I looked all over, and she was standing alone. She was wet. She was in shock, and she was shaking,” Ray recalled.

Rhonda stayed with Jennifer in the rain that night, followed her to the hospital, and refused to leave until her parents arrived. Though they never saw each other again, Jennifer never forgot her.

“I thought about Rhonda throughout my whole life,” Jennifer said. “Every time I told people my story, Rhonda was always part of it.”

For decades, Jennifer carried that memory with her — through her time in the military, through moves away from California, and through countless drives past the spot on Harbor Boulevard where the crash happened.

Finally, after 35 years, she decided it was time to try and find the woman who showed her such compassion.

She turned to social media, posting in the Fullerton Buzz Facebook group:

“Hi Fullerton, this is a very long shot... (Feb 17. 1990) 35 years ago I was in a car accident … I don’t remember much from that day, but I do remember how nice this lady was to me.”

The community rallied to help, and within days, Rhonda’s daughter saw the post. “Hi there! I believe you are talking about my mom!” she commented — and soon after, Jennifer and Rhonda were on the phone, both in tears.

“(Jennifer) called me, and as soon as I heard her voice, we were both crying,” Rhonda said. “I was so happy she’s ok, and is such an amazing human being.”

The two women reunited, finally bringing closure to a moment that had shaped both of their lives.

“She didn’t have to stop. She didn’t have to go to the hospital with me,” Jennifer said. “She stopped her whole day to be with this little 9-year-old girl she didn’t know — and that’s what I’ve spent my life trying to be.”

Watch the video below: