‘Don’t praise me’: Punjabi man stops van, rushes to save autistic boy from being hit at busy Surrey traffic
Moti Jahal is overwhelmed as his video of saving a child at a busy Surrey crossing in Canada has gone viral and everybody is praising him for his split-second decision to stop his car and pick up the child. The Good Samaritan responded to the social media accolades and said it was his father’s instinct that pushed him to get out of his car while several other cars did not stop. He said he did not want praise, he just wants the child to be okay and drivers to be mindful on the road.“That’s me in the video. As a father, my instincts just kicked in. I wasn’t thinking about myself or the danger- I just wanted to make sure that little boy was safe. I’m not looking for any recognition or praise, just grateful he’s okay. Please stay alert and watch for children around busy roads. Take care of each other. God is good,” Moti Jahal wrote, commenting on the clip.The incident took place on July 21 and was caught on a surveillance camera. A toddler got out onto the busy road and started crossing it as cars were coming.“God had me at the right place at the right time. I did not think anything. I just thought that the boy needed me. I am a new father as well. I just thought of the boy as my own son,” Johal said to City News. Police came to the site and the boy was reunited with his parents. Johal said he later learned that the toddler was autistic, non-verbal, and deaf.Johal said as he saw the surveillance footage, he teared up, as something disastrous could have happened to the boy and none of the cars were stopping.
