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Subscribe to RSSA local businessman has come forward to write a $5,000 check to a disabled Miami, Fla., man whose car was stolen Monday night.
"This $5,000 saved my life because I have no money to afford to buy a car,” Fontaine said, holding the check Thursday.
When Fontaine’s gray 1996 Nissan Sentra was taken from right outside his home, his wheelchair mount and footrest went with it.
The car is still gone, but a Coral Springs businessman – who wishes to remain anonymous – made a large donation after seeing NBC Miami’s story Tuesday night.
On Thursday Fontaine called the man to thank him.
“Thank you very much, sir,” said Fontaine, who has used a wheelchair for the last 20 years after he lost his legs to an infection.
“You’re welcome, my friend,” the businessman replied. “You’re welcome.”
“That’s a great help,” Fontaine said. “This way I can get a new car.”
“My heart goes with you. No one should have to deal with something like that,” the man said.
The initial story was also seen by someone Fontaine had not heard from since they served together in the Army in the 1960s – a long-lost friend from Miami Lakes.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story said that Fontaine's prosthetic legs were taken because they were believed to be in his car, but it turns out the family still had them.
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Leave a Comment:
Insurance?
If he's like me, he can't afford to put full coverage insurance on a 15-year-old vehicle. Liability insurance doesn't cover theft.
I hope the person who stole the car dies a long and painful death.
You really have to post such an stupid question? The person was disabled, driving an old vehicle, liability may be the only thing he had on that car, you remind me the kind of person that will sue a person just for farting next to you right after coming from your Sunday religious service. If you wanted to be the first to post, great accomplishment!!!!
On a car this old, it is likely that he did not have coverage for theft of the car. However, even if he had insurance that would cover the theft of the car, most insurance does not cover after market equipment that is added by the owner. I found his out when I had an after market stereo system stolen from my car. Initially the insurance company said it was not covered. I got lucky in that since it had been installed by the car dealer when I bought the car, they agreed to cover it. Had it been installed anywhere else after I took delivery of the car it would not have been covered. Since the special handicapped equipment on this car was likely installed by a specialty shop, not a car dealer, the equipment would not have been covered by the insurance. Special handicapped equipment on a car can cost almost as much as the car depending on the extent of the modifications that are made. Unless you have a specific endorsement on your insurance, these modifications would not be covered by your insurance. This is not a fact that many people are aware of and they often find out the way I did when they have expensive after market sound systems stolen.
I am just happy to learn that someone stepped up to help this guy out. This is rare, and it is even more rare that he chose to remain anonymous instead of seeking publicity for his good deed. This is true charity, doing something to help another without looking for anything in return.
Often, an older car that has been owned by a long time by an elderly or disabled owner has very few miles on it for it's age, so even if you have insurance that covers theft, what you get will if stolen or totalled will not get you into a car of equivalent condition. And many people, especially low income, do not carry anything except liability.
How wonderful that someone came forward to help this man out. Even better that they want to stay annonymous.
Whats even better than helping the man out was the fact that it actually made it into the news afterwards.
Its good to read news that isn't all bad news.
The car being stolen was bad news, someone helping him was great news. :)
I am sure that this happens more than we know, it just usually isn't news worthy, but it should be.
To many reporters and editors still think that "No news is good news".
But in reality it isn't.
I would like to thank the author and the editors involved for reporting something positive for a change.
I would also like to thank those that help others, just because it is the right thing to do.
Wonderful story! :)
Yep, good to see there are some decent people left in this world!! :)
Disabled people are forced to live on the margins. Even if he had insurance it wouldn't cover the cost of a replacement vehicle. Thank you to the good hearted buisnessman who came forward to help out. I hope to God I am in that position someday, blessed with enough spare cash to help people out.
Still some damn good people in the world :) thanks for sharing the story!
this store made my day....... thank you very much!
This man is disabled, served his country, was having a rough go of it and someone helped him out. Not enough of this in our country these days.
So happy to see good people still in this world!
Bless this donor. He has a good heart.
nice story
It's great to see stories like this on the front page that don't involve murder, theft, etc. Please continue this trend MSNBC.
Great story. But what comes to mind................didn't this man have insurance?
Liability, probably!?.......what do you think ?
A 15 year-old car owned by a person on a fixed income? Duh. Liability only.
It must be nice to live such a sheltered life that you don't realize that not everyone carries full coverage.
Such a nice story, kudos. Even if he had insurance I'm sure this man could really use the help.
I was so hopeful a person like this would come forward and help that man. It sickened me to read the original story and not be able to help the man who had lost his wheelchair and also his legs. When your on a fixed budget I'd say 95% of us cannot afford the full coverage insurance on even an old car like he had. I was wheelchair bound for 4 years and have since donated my wheelchair to a person who needed one and couldn't afford one which made me feel very good to be able to help some. Even if this gentleman were to get his old car back it most likely would need major work which he couldn't afford so this man helping him has saved a person from going through more pain and suffering.
The gift of giving is one of the most awesome feelings there is and I hope that the man who came to this persons aid will cherish the feeling and also the new friendship he gained by doing this.
This is how things were done in the past, maybe there's hope for the future yet?
May this kind benefactor have a beautiful 2012.
Its also great that the mans family found his prosthetic legs as well.
I sure wish we could here about these kind of stories more often~
good job "buisnessman" for some people a cheap car can mean all the difference in the world. for a wheelchair bound man, a car is freedom, and independence.
I hope the thief looses his legs and can appreciate the modifications the victim had done to his car.
If you let the free market to itself, it will work! But I know what you Libs are "thinking", this is a taxable transaction and Bammy should use the proceeds to support art by post-modern, HIV+, foreign transsexuals.
Don't worry this crap will come to an end in 2013! BOOK IT LIBS!!!
Ahhh... not surprising some moron would try to make this political. Wrong story, loser. Go troll elsewhere.
Mr. Businessman, thank you. It's good to know there's still decent people like you out there.
This is an awesome story. About the anonymous person. Wish more people were like that and the news carried more positive stories.
Uncle, you are totally out of line. Can there not be a SINGLE THREAD on the vine that doesn't end up as a political rant?
Honestly, I think they should hunt down the thief/thieves, break their legs and make them live in wheelchairs for a while. See how it feels. How low can you get, stealing a car from a disabled person?
All the millionaires and Billionaires out there you would think one of them would buy the guy a Nice van or a new car. I read where a guy bought a first edition comic book about two months ago for One and a Half million dollars another paid two and a half million dollars for a bottle of Wine. But help their fellow man? Zip, Nada, Nothing, Zilch. And the Republicans want to give Wealthy folks more of a Tax break because they say their Taxes are too high????? Bunch of Stingy B-----s.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Absolute wealth corrupts absolutely.
That being said, the 1% already pay 90% of the taxes in this country.
So what I hear you saying, is why not raise their taxes to pay the other 10%, so 99% of the population can pay nothing????????????????
Half the people in this country don't pay as it is.
I hate to see this kind of thing. It teaches people to beg.
My wish for you is that you learn what it means to lose every possession you have in 2012. Then you may come off of your high throne and learn humility.
By the way, can you point me to the place in the story where the man was out begging for handouts?
I'm really happy to see this!
it's good to read something so positive, to let us know that there are good people in this land and that we all have the capacity to do good....
just wish people knew who this businessman is -- this is someone whose business you could feel good about supporting....
I love what that businessman did. God bless you.
Maybe things have changed as of this posting, but I'm a little disappointed that others in the community appear to have not stepped up to offer some help. Hopefully the 5K will be enough to get a decent, used car AND a wheelchair.
On a different story: I was very happy to read about the community that poured out love and support for the young mom who had to defend herself and her baby after her husband died on Christmas.