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A little help when it mattered most
Mariam A. Saved in Waikato
Driving alone with two toddlers, this young mum was travelling between Hamilton and Auckland when her car suddenly lost power and the steering wheel locked.
Mariam managed to get safely off the motorway, but found herself stranded near Taupiri Maunga, with her husband in Auckland and two little ones depending on her.
Feeling nervous and unsure what to do next, she called the AA for help. The team on the phone made sure the tow truck had room for all three of them and the AA Roadservice Officer went one step further, giving them a lift to her husband.
After what had felt like a frightening situation, seeing help arrive was a huge relief.
“When I saw the towie, it felt like he saved my life!”
Sometimes, a rescue is about so much more than getting back on the road.
Read Mariam's full story
"I was a young mum of two toddlers, aged 4 and 2, and we lived in Hamilton at the time but would frequently need to drive back and forth to Auckland, where my husband worked.
On one of those occasions, I was driving our station wagon when suddenly something ripped loose (turned out to be the cambelt), causing the steering wheel to lock completely. The car felt heavy and slow... I somehow forced the car off the road, just enough to get off the motorway and onto a side road where I could safely get out and check on the kids.
Lo and behold, we were in front of Taupiri Maunga, in the middle of nowhere... my husband was in Auckland, and I was alone with two babies, unable to get where I needed to...
I called the AA, and they helped send a tow truck, even though the car would need to be towed inter-city... not only that, the questioning on the phone helped identify that I had the kids, so they sent a towie that had front seats for us. The driver not only helped tow the car but gave us a ride to my husband!
I honestly was feeling so nervous and afraid at that time, but when I saw the towie, it felt like he saved my life! As dramatic as that sounds, it’s true!
Maybe if I was alone, it wouldn’t have been as scary... but with two kids under 5, I certainly felt a weight lift off my shoulders when the AA sent us help like a guardian angel...
Thanks AA!"
Mariam A. AA Member for 18 years
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