A Midnight Miracle: How Unexpected Help on the Highway Taught Me a Valuable Lesson 

It was a late night in Chandigarh when I finished work and decided to head home to Patiala. At that hour, the Zirakpur-Patiala highway was under construction, making the ride even more treacherous. In the dead of the night, I failed to spot a rough patch in the road. As my car hit the uneven surface, I immediately lost control, and it swerved off the road. For a moment, I was completely dazed. When I got out of the car, I saw that one of the tyres was flat. The time? Around 12:15 AM.

I had a spare tyre, but here’s the catch—I didn’t know how to change a flat. I watched a couple of YouTube videos, but they didn’t help much. To be honest, I was a bit scared; I was all alone on an empty highway with no help in sight. Desperate, I decided to call 100. The operator directed me to the local police station, and the officer on the line said, “Sir, you can come with your family to the station, as it’s difficult to find a mechanic at this hour.”

“I’m alone,” I quickly replied. “Please, I’ll be really grateful if you could send help.” I asked for the phone numbers of the patrolling officers, and he kindly provided them.

Without hesitation, I dialed the numbers and explained my situation. Around 1:15 AM, to my surprise, two policemen arrived—one in his 40s, the other in his 20s. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they proved me wrong. They jumped into action, helping me change the flat tyre. Just as we thought the job was done, I noticed that the second tyre was also punctured. The officers didn’t hesitate—they understood immediately.

One of them offered to drive me to a mechanic’s shop, and the other stayed with my car. We got the second tyre fixed, and by the time I returned to the spot, the car was ready to go.

The next morning, around 4 AM, the policeman called to check if I had made it home safely. I thanked him profusely.

I never expected that help would come from the police, especially for something that wasn’t part of their job. But that night, I learned that sometimes, help arrives from the most unexpected places. It also taught me a valuable lesson: everyone should know how to change a flat tyre. In fact, I believe this should be part of the driver’s license test—just passing a knowledge and driving test isn’t enough.

Fast forward to last year, after I’d moved to Canada. One evening, my car broke down on a highway at around 8:45 PM. In Canada, private companies offer round-the-clock towing services. I called one of them, and they arrived promptly to tow my car.

These experiences have shown me that, no matter where you are, there are always people willing to lend a hand, sometimes when you least expect it. A good turn on the highway can go a long way.