My Best Day
By Douglas MacDonald

It was a bright summer day in 1981 and I was on my motorcycle doing deliveries for a local business. I was northbound on the 405, just about a ¼ mile north of Mulholland Dr. in the number 4 lane preparing to navigate the interchange to the 101 west. This is coming down the hill and the freeway makes a slight bend to the left.

As I was riding, I noticed vehicles in the number 1 lane (fast lane) swerving dangerously around an object I could not yet see.

As I continued down the hill, I saw that a silver car was stalled in the fast lane (there is no shoulder there, as you may know).

Since drivers in that lane are negotiating the left bend next to the center divider, drivers are in a slightly ‘blind’ corner and I could see that the stalled car was catching many drivers by surprise. I could see several near misses as I watched the stalled car come into my view.

I then noticed that a woman was standing outside the stalled car on the driver’s side next to the center divider. As I came parallel to her stalled vehicle (remember that I was in the #4 lane) the woman and I made eye contact for a moment in time. I could see that she was crying, was in obvious fear for her life and I could read her lips as she looked at me…she was saying “help me”!

Realizing that tragedy was imminent, I immediately got off the freeway at the Ventura Blvd. off ramp and proceeded to break every law in the book working my way back to the southbound 405 to help this woman. Remember, at the time there were no cell phones and even if there had been, there was no time to be making phone calls! My adrenaline was pumping, hoping no one collided with this woman’s car while she was standing between the center divider and her car. At the time, the south bound lanes had a emergency shoulder so I knew I could stop there and help. I got onto the southbound 405 and as I began to approach the area where I had seen the woman, I continued to see cars swerving around her stalled vehicle and many more close calls.

When I stopped by the woman’s car, I saw that she had gotten back into the car. When she saw me, she was still crying and near panic. As she looked at me, she again said “help me”! It was then that I noticed that she was VERY pregnant! I quickly asked if she was in labor and she replied that she was not. I quite frankly, was relieved but still, I had to take her out of harms way before it was too late!

I got off my motorcycle and hopped over the center divider and helped her get out of her car as more cars whizzed by so close that each one was causing the woman’s car to rock around from the gust of wind that was created by the dangerously close and fast moving vehicles. I worried silently as I assisted the pregnant woman, if we were going to get out of there before someone hit us at 65 MPH+ and what would happen if they did. However, I already knew we would both likely be killed on the spot.

I finally got the woman out of the car and over the center divider to the relative safety of the southbound shoulder. A moment later, another motorcyclist stopped on the shoulder having seen my motorcycle stopped there (motorcyclists tend to help each other) I gave him a quick briefing and asked him to find a phone and call C.H.P. A short time later C.H.P. arrived in time to avert the still dangerous situation occurring only a few yards away from the woman and I.

I remember comforting and calming the woman down. As I did, she looked into my eyes thanked me over and over again. While I never saw her again after that day…I knew that I had just become her best friend…and it felt great…and is something that I am proud of!

I did not tell you this story to brag, only to give you an idea of what kind of person owns and operates Amstar Express, and by extension, the kind of ethics, morals and willingness to help that are part of this companies’ heritage.