Chance encounter leads to car surprise for local man

May 6—John Brandeberry has received his new wheels.

Just under three months after a chance encounter with a board member of a charitable group that provides financial-hardship assistance, Mr. Brandeberry on Thursday received a 2013 Toyota Rav 4 compact SUV from Jim White Toyota in Sylvania Township.

His five-mile commute from his Holland-Sylvania Road apartment to his job at a Kroger store at Holland-Sylvania and Bancroft Street no longer has to be by bicycle or on foot — the latter being his means of travel during a Feb. 15 snowstorm when James "Jimmy" Preston spotted him slogging along Holland-Sylvania and offered him a ride.

Mr. Preston, a board member of Blessings in Disguise, then surprised him by setting up a GoFundMe campaign to get him a vehicle and pay for insurance, registration, and other vehicle-related costs.

"I think it's amazing," said Mr. Brandeberry, 27, an East Toledo native. "I was really shocked that everybody went through with this. I never thought I'd drive but behind me is the proof."

The GoFundMe campaign ended up raising $7,005 toward the vehicle's $13,000 retail price and six months of full-coverage insurance. Blessings in Disguise, of which the Toyota dealership's Mr. White also is a board member, paid for Mr. Brandeberry's driver instruction and licensing expenses.

While speaking with reporters Thursday at the dealership, Mr. Brandeberry said the turn of events is testament to the kindness of strangers.

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"It means that there are a lot of good people in this world and you never know when you are going to run into them, so [you should] treat everybody the same," he said.

Mr. Preston said the outcome was "exactly what I envisioned that night" after dropping Mr. Brandeberry off at the supermarket and pausing to reflect on what had just happened.

"I can't believe I pulled it off. John was walking in that blizzard when I picked him up and then I just helped him with his commitment to get to work — though many people would not — and I just thought, 'Well, he is going to get some luck,'" Mr. Preston said.

Mr. Brandeberry said he hadn't wanted Mr. Preston to go out of his way to help him, "but he didn't care about that, so I took the ride.

"And then the next day when I go into work, they tell me, 'This guy wants to get hold of you. You should call him.' So I call him up and he tells me that they voted on getting me my license. And then it just spiraled all into getting a car and my license," Mr. Brandeberry said.

The fund-raising campaign to go beyond getting Mr. Brandeberry licensed arose when Mr. Preston posted to Facebook about the encounter, generating an outpouring of support he said inspired him to try to get his new friend reliable, all-weather transportation.

Mr. Preston also took Mr. Brandeberry to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles to get his temporary license and to an empty parking lot where he could practice driving. Mr. Brandeberry passed his license exam last month at Master and Sylvania Driving School, Mr. Preston said.

Mr. Brandeberry said he is excited to be finally able to drive to Kroger, where he stocks shelves.

"I [also] plan to take actual vacations now and not just sit at home," he said with a smile. "I can do that now."

First Published May 6, 2021, 5:13pm