Shaquille O’Neal Helps Motorist Stranded By Highway Crash

As long as Shaquille O’Neal didn’t have to shoot free throws, these motorists were in good hands.

Dashcam video from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office showed the NBA legend waiting on the side of Interstate 75 in Florida for first responders after he spotted a wreck on Monday and pulled over. 

An arriving deputy gets a fist-bump from the 15-time All-Star and tells him: “Appreciate you stopping to help.”

O’Neal, who lives in the Orlando area, was traveling on the highway near Gainesville when he saw the crash and stopped, according to the sheriff’s office. A motorist said her tire blew out and her car spun into the median. No injuries were reported, the Orlando Sentinel noted.

A bunch of thank-you’s for O’Neal can be heard around the car later.

“The deputies had no idea he was going to be there but they both recognized him as soon as they got there,” a sheriff’s spokesman told the Gainesville Sun. “He happened to come upon the accident … so he stopped to see if any aid was needed. Once law enforcement arrived he got in his vehicle and left. He didn’t stand around for any accolades. He was just a good citizen.”

O’Neal serves as a reserve officer for many police departments in the state, the Gainesville paper noted.