Premier helps RHH emergency nurse jump start her car

Premier Peter Gutwein went above and beyond the call of duty when he stopped to assist a pregnant nurse in need of help. Find out how the heartwarming exchange happened.

NURSE Sophie Williams just wanted to get home after a night shift when her car’s battery died and a kind stranger helped her with a jump start — but the stranger wasn’t just any ordinary citizen.

The Royal Hobart Hospital emergency nurse was leaving work on Monday morning only to discover her car battery was flat, but luckily a workmate had jumper leads in her car.

“I had my bonnet up and this man — having finished night shift and being pregnant, it didn’t quite click who he was — asked if we needed a hand,” Ms Williams said.

Premier Peter Gutwein poses with Royal Hobart Hospital nurse Sophie Williams after helping jump start her car.

“We were a bit proud and said no, we’re fine, but he stuck around for a while.

“He hung around I think because he could tell we were struggling a bit with figuring out how to jump start the car. It’s not something we do often.

“He asked if we worked at the hospital. He thanked us and said ‘thanks for everything you’re doing with the coronavirus, we really appreciate it.’

“When I was trying to hook up the jumper leads to the battery, he asked if we were being good with our PPE and said ‘I’m the Premier — it’s not a good look if I get COVID-19’.”

ACTS OF KINDNESS AND HEARTWARMING SCENES SWEEP THE STATE

It was then the penny dropped, and Ms Williams and her workmate realised Peter Gutwein, dressed casually in a puffer jacket and track pants, had stopped to help them out.

“He was just in his runners with a beanie on,” Ms Williams said.

“He jumped in and hooked up the battery and started my car for me. We got a photo, keeping 1.5m apart, and that was pretty much it, he went on his way.

“It was nice of him to stop and not only help us, but thank us for our work as well.

“I think he was just getting some exercise in, so he didn’t have to stop.

“Would have been a bit awkward if he did a good deed in helping out a couple of nurses and got sick from it, but we’ve been working very safely.”