July 17, 2014—West Valley CARSTAR in Utah performed free truck repairs for a man being hailed as a hero after he used his Dodge 2500 to barricade against a car attempting to drive through a public park where several children were playing, the company announced Wednesday.
In late May, Bryson Rowley used his 2006 Dodge pickup to block a car being driven by a 14-year-old boy who had stolen his grandfather’s car and was being chased by police. The driver had already made one pass through the park when Rowley decided to take matters into his own hands.
“The car came from the opposite side of the park. It came across all the ball fields, across the grass, right at all the kids,” Rowley said. “He jumped the car over a grass patch, into the road. At that point I told my wife I can’t let him back in.”
Rowley drove his truck in front of the vehicle, ending the chase. Rowley wasn’t injured, but he knew the $7,000 worth of repairs to his Dodge would likely not be covered by his insurance.
When Brian Ellison, West Valley CARSTAR production manager and co-owner, heard about the accident, he reached out to Rowley.
“I saw what happened on the news that night, and thought the least I can do is help him out,” Ellison said. “If it was one of my kids, or one of my nieces or nephews, you can’t replace that. Cars can be replaced, people can’t.”
The shop not only fixed Rowley’s truck, but with the help of vendors, also gave it several upgrades. In all, Rowley ended up with $15,000–$20,000 worth of repairs and upgrades. Vendors that donated parts include Fusion Bumpers, Diesel Power Gear, Smittybilt, Sinister Diesel, Jacket Accessories, Tip Top Transmission, Precision Dent, Diesel Sellerz.com, Sparks Motors, MBRP, Monster Hooks Inc., and Larry H. Miller Chrysler Jeep Dodge.
Hertz covered the cost of a rental car for Rowley while his truck was being repaired.
“We’ve been pretty blessed down here. It was the least I could do,” Ellison said. “He’s a good guy. When he came to pick it up, he was in tears.”
