Mystery man who helped Florida woman after crash found, reunited: 'An Angel'

'My angel': FOX 35 reunites man who helped woman after crash

In early September, a woman reached out to FOX 35 looking for a man named "TJ," who helped keep her calm after she was involved in a crash. Weeks later, FOX 35 and our viewers helped find the mystery angel named "TJ" and reunited him with the woman he helped out.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - Mystery solved. The unknown man who came to a woman's rescue after a crash earlier this month has been found – and the two recently reunited.

On Sept. 2, Regina Suarez was in a head-on crash in Central Florida that left her shaken up. That was until a man named "T.J." stopped to help, offering comfort in a scary situation. Suarez reached out to FOX 35 hoping to reach this mystery "T.J"

After the story aired, several people reached out to FOX 35 believing they knew who this mystery helper was. After weeks of searching, T.J. was found and agreed to meet Regina again.

The crash and the search for T.J.

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.

The crash happened on Sept. 2 at the intersection of Ronald Reagan Blvd. and U.S. 17-92.

According to FHP, the driver of another vehicle ran a red light and slammed into Suarez's vehicle. That other driver was ultimately cited. Suarez's vehicle was totaled, her airbags deployed, and her wrist was ultimately broken.

She said she as trapped inside her vehicle after the crash, panicking, until she heard the voice of a strange – a man who introduced himself as "T.J." He helped Suarez get out of the vehicle, assessed her injuries, and stayed on scene until first responders and paramedics arrived. 

During the chaos, Suarez forgot to get T.J.'s number to thank him. So, she contacted FOX 35 for help. You can watch the original story in the video player above.

She did not have a lot to go on:

• His name was T.J.
• He was "tallish" with reddish/brown hair.
• He had a beard.
• He had a tattoo on his right forearm.
• He drove an older model white truck.

'My angel': FOX 35 reunites man who helped woman after crash

In early September, a woman reached out to FOX 35 looking for a man named "TJ," who helped keep her calm after she was involved in a crash. Weeks later, FOX 35 and our viewers helped find the mystery angel named "TJ" and reunited him with the woman he helped out.

We put the call out, and FOX 35 viewers got the job done! After several false leads, we were finally able to track down the correct T.J. His name is T.J. Hall. He's a former firefighter with a military background.

He said he pulled over to help Suarez because he believed it was the right thing to do.

The reunion

Two weeks after the crash, FOX 35’s Hannah Mackenzie was able to reunite Suarez and Hall.

"I’m so happy to see you! I’ve got my tissues ready, come in," Suarez said from the doorway. "It’s so good to see you! We’ve been looking for you!"

"I’m glad you found me," Hall replied.

The last time the two saw one another, Suarez was being strapped to a stretcher and loaded into the back of an ambulance.

"It just made me feel that he was sent from heaven, and he just made it feel like he was going to help me, and he just made it feel like everything was going to be okay," Suarez said.  "He was just so amazing and so calming… and I just remember holding [his] hand!"

One of the things that Suarez is extremely grateful for was Hall’s quick thinking. He advised her to remove her jewelry after the two noticed her wrist and hand were swelling. X-rays later revealed her wrist was fractured.

"You never know what you’re going to do until the situation arises, but I just did what I knew I could do to help," Hall said. "It’s just how I was raised, I guess, you’ve just gotta help each other." No one else stopped to help Suarez. She said not only did Hall come to her aid physically, but he was also a comforting presence in her time of need. His kindness, she said, is hard to come by these days.

"People are just hardened and our world is different," Suarez said."[You’ve] gotta be kind to each other," Hall added.

"100%," agreed Suarez. "Pay it forward; I definitely am. Thank you so much! I love you – I know that sounds crazy, but I do!"

"Glad I was there," Hall replied.

Now that they are reunited, Suarez said they plan to stay connected. They already have plans to get their families together for a big dinner.