Roadside rescue in eastern China sparks chain of kindness

When Wang Fang got out of her vehicle after it was repeatedly struck from behind at a red light, she quickly realized something was wrong. The driver of the car behind her was unconscious, his eyes closed and head slumped. The doors were locked from the inside, and his foot appeared to remain on the accelerator.

Wang Fang was heard shouting, "Call an ambulance!" to passersby. Within minutes, strangers from all directions rushed in. One man wedged a concrete pole against the rear wheel of the vehicle to stop it from moving. Another individual smashed the window and turned off the engine. Wang and another bystander took turns performing CPR on the driver as others directed traffic. As this went on, they also searched for the man's family contacts, with other members of the public offering their own emergency heart medication.

When paramedics arrived, the rescue had already become a relay of ordinary people doing whatever they could.

The incident, which took place on the evening of May 14 in Jingjiang, east China's Jiangsu province, has since spread across Chinese social media.

Wang, a nurse at a local health center, later said, "As a medical worker, saving lives is instinctive."

CCTV footage shows passengers rushing to rescue the unconscious driver at an intersection in Jingjiang, Jiangsu province, May 14, 2026. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

According to local authorities, the unconscious driver — surnamed Hu — had suffered a sudden medical emergency while driving home from work. Originally from the southwestern city of Guang'an in Sichuan province, Hu had arrived in Jingjiang earlier this month for a company project.

"I woke up in the hospital with no memory of what happened," Hu said afterwards. "I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who helped me."

Police in Jingjiang have recognized Wang and the other rescuers for acts of bravery.

Wang Fang (fourth from the right) and other rescuers are honored by the Jingjiang Public Security Bureau for their courageous act. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

But the story did not end there.

On Wednesday morning, a car company presented Wang with a new vehicle in recognition of her actions. Standing before cameras and bouquets of flowers, the nurse made an unexpected announcement: She would donate the vehicle to be auctioned off for charity.

"The honor doesn't belong to me alone," Wang said. "It belongs to everyone who helped that day, and to this warm city."

Her hospital later confirmed it would support the decision and organize a transparent auction process, with all funds donated to people in need.

Many people online have said what touched them most about the Jingjiang rescue was not the awards or the publicity, but the human kindness behind it. "A big thumbs-up to Ms. Wang Fang and the kind-hearted residents," one user wrote on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging platform similar to X. "This is real compassion," another commented.

For a few tense minutes at a crowded intersection, the rescue effort had no leader, no plan, and no guarantee of success — only a group of passersby unwilling to look away.