Where's TJ? Florida woman looking for kind stranger who helped her after crash: 'An angel'

Seminole County woman seeks stranger who helped her after crash

A Seminole County woman who survived a head-on crash is searching for the stranger who pulled her from her car and comforted her until first responders arrived.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - A woman in Central Florida is on the hunt for a man named "TJ," who rushed to her aid after she was involved in a crash.

"TJ is an angel – and we need to find him."

FHP: Car, truck collision US 17-92

What we know:

The Florida Highway Patrol said two vehicles crashed at the intersection of 17-92 and Ronald Reagan Boulevard on Tuesday, Sept. 2. The crash happened shortly after 6 a.m. 

Regina Suarez told FOX 35's Hannah McKenzie that she was hit head-on by the driver of a truck as she was attempting to turn left onto US 17-92 from Ronald Reagan Blvd.  

"I get the green arrow, and I start to go, and I see these lights coming at me. I thought to myself, ‘why are these lights coming straight at me?’, and as soon as I had that thought, it was lights out – smash! Boom! Airbags," Suarez recalled.

FHP said the crash itself was still under investigation, though a witness told FHP troopers that Suarez had a green light.

Suarez recalled being in panic moments after the crash until a kind person – then a stranger – stopped to help.

"He’s like, ‘my name is TJ and I’m here to help you. Everything is going to be okay’… and I was so distraught and crying and shaking, I just grabbed hold of his hand and I’m like, ‘okay TJ, thank you!," she told FOX 35.

She said the mystery man helped get her out of her car, helped retrieve her belongings, and told her to remove her rings from her fingers, as her hand was beginning to swell. 

"Makes me think maybe he had experience in this field… maybe he’s a volunteer or something? Because he was so calming and reassuring."

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office and Seminole County Fire Department also responded to the crash. Suarez was put in the back of an ambulance and transported to the hospital. She was told that she had fractured her wrist.

What you can do:

Amid the chaos, Suarez said she forgot to ask for TJ's phone number, to thank him for helping. She hopes to find him.

"TJ is an angel – and we need to find him," Suarez said.

"I want to really thank him and do something nice for him – a gift card… if it’s a meal, we’re Italian, we love to cook. We have people over at our house all the time. He’s welcome to come with his family if he has a family, because he’s now my family.

She described TJ as a tall guy, likely in his 30s. She said he had reddish/brown hair and a beard. It appears he had a tattoo on his right arm. 

If you recognize this mystery helper or know him, please reach out to the FOX 35 newsroom.