Washington Township, NJ officer changes flat tire for stranded woman
Nicole Fedorko called her fiancé, a mechanic. But he was two hours away.
WASHINGTON TWP., New Jersey (WPVI) -- Nicole Fedorko had just finished some Christmas shopping at the neighborhood Target last Saturday afternoon when she drove onto a road under construction in Washington Township, New Jersey.
As the unpaved part of Fries Mills Road connected into the paved section, her car struck the pavement with a bang.
Fedorko then heard her tire making a weird noise and she pulled over.
Sure enough, she had a flat tire.
She called her fiancé, who happens to be a mechanic, for help. But he was working with her father and they were two hours away.
As she sat on the side of the roadway, near Hurffville-Cross Keys Road, she called the Washington Township Police Department's non-emergency line to report the incident.
Officer Kyle Welsh of the Washington Township Police Department soon arrived to the scene.
After Fedorko explained the situation, that she would be waiting a while for help, Officer Welsh took action.
"He's like, 'I can change your tire,'" Fedorko told Action News over Zoom this week. "I said, 'Are you sure?' He said, 'Don't worry about it. There's no use in you waiting two hours.'"
Fedorko had the spare and everything the officer needed in her car.
"I felt comfortable changing tires so I figured I could give her a hand and help her get home," the officer told Action News in a separate Zoom interview.
So surprised by the officer's kind gesture, Fedorko documented the unexpected encounter on Instagram.
"It was really, really nice," Fedorko said. "I really appreciate it."
Officer Welsh says they do receive calls of people running out of gas or getting flat tires often.
He says if the department has the manpower on that particular day, they'd always be happy to help out as he did for Nicole Fedorko.
"We always push the community caretaking aspect of our jobs, especially our chief who always promotes that, trying to help out any way we can," Officer Welsh said. "Without even thinking, I just jumped to it, offered to change a tire so she could carry on with her day."
