Beyond the Call of Duty: Police Officer Helps Desperate Man on California’s I-80
By Adria Valdes Greenhauff, HeroFuel® Reporter
Losing one’s wallet definitely ranks high on the list of life’s big hassles — right up there with getting a flat tire or watching your brand new iPhone fall down a flight of stairs. It’s annoying, inconvenient and can end up costing you some serious cash.
For John Badial of Vacaville, CA, a lost wallet was way more than an unfortunate occurrence. It was a tragedy.
“All my money for the week, all the money we had was in the center divide,” the father of two, who told ABC 7 that after mistakenly leaving his wallet on the roof of his car, he witnessed it fall onto California’s busy Interstate 80.
“I went right over the bump and I happened to glance in my rear-view mirror and saw everything fall out of my wallet and hit the ground,” he said. “Everything is accounted for. Every nickel gets spent, pretty much, so it was a huge loss for us,” Badial said.
He’s a mechanic and the sole provider for his family who lives on a very tight budget, sometimes running out of funds before his next paycheck. Losing that week’s money, a mere $200, could be catastrophic for the family of four. So instead of cutting his losses, Badial decided to risk his life to retrieve the wallet. Fortunately, he was successful and his story doesn’t end there.
Ofc. James Morrell of the California Highway Patrol had never received a call like he did that Saturday night in September. Commuters were concerned about a man they saw crawling around on his hands and knees in the dark on Interstate 80’s center divider.
“I thought he was broken down or ran out of gas, something like that,” Ofc. Morrell, a second-generation CHP patrolman, said.
However, he soon learned Badial’s story, later offering to escort him to a nearby gas station so he could fill up his truck. Still touched by the story, Morrell saw a cash machine and felt inclined to help. The officer withdrew $60 and gave it to the struggling father.
“Because that is how I was raised, my parents taught me to help everyone in any way that I’m able to do. And that’s again the reason why I got this job. I wanted to help everybody,” Morrell said.
Baidal was taken aback by the officer’s random act of kindness. “I was pretty thankful and got choked up about it because he doesn’t know me from Adam, you know,” Badial said.
They certainly know each other, now. The two strangers are forever linked by chance, bad luck and goodwill on a busy California freeway.
And there’s certainly something here the rest of us can learn, as well. Bodial is a shining example of hard work and perseverance. Even in the face of defeat, he did whatever it took to help his family and it paid off. Meanwhile, Ofc. Morrell is proof of the many police officers out there who have a heart for helping people. Police officers’ duties go far beyond the front lines of crime. They are often the first ones there to assist a person in need, even when it goes beyond the requirements of a badge.
Ofc. Morrel has even inspired others to pay it forward. Inspired by this act of kindness, Jorge Navarro Jr. of San Francisco started an online fundraising campaign to help Bodial.
“On a personal note, I can relate to this story and I believe many of you can relate too,” Navarro wrote on the GoFundMe page he created. “Maybe you didn’t lose your wallet, maybe you just had a bad day and someone helped you out, a complete stranger who had nothing to do with your life but still took the time out to show you that we all care about one another.”
What a great way to keep the good vibes going!
