September 24, 2026

Seven high school students turned a frightening situation into a powerful act of kindness when they stopped to help a woman whose car had broken down in the middle of a busy Massachusetts highway.

The helpful teens / Robin Gay / WPBF 25 News

Robin Gay’s car suddenly stopped working Friday evening after she left a volunteer shift at a dance studio in Everett, Massachusetts.

She was stuck in the middle of the road as traffic continued rushing past her.

“Cars were literally flying, so I kind of went into a panic state,” Gay said. “My biggest fear was somebody is going to hit me.”

That's when seven students from the local high school noticed what was happening and rushed to help.

The students worked together to move Gay’s car out of danger. She stayed behind the wheel and steered while the young men pushed the vehicle toward a nearby parking space. One student also helped direct traffic.

Once the car was safely out of the roadway, Gay tried to give the students some money to thank them but they wouldn't take it.

Instead, the students gave her a hug.

“They just refused; they were pushing my hand away, they were like, ‘Absolutely not,’” Gay said. “To them, it was like, ‘We’re really glad that you’re safe.’”

The students said helping someone in trouble is simply what they were taught to do.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the person; if you know the person. If you see someone in trouble, just go help,” senior Emmanuel Lerbout said.

For Gay, the kindness meant far more than the students probably realized.

“The impact they had, it was just unbelievable,” she said. “You don’t realize what people are going through. The littlest things make a difference, and hopefully, the kindness keeps spreading.”