Faced with a 70-minute wait for the American Automobile Association to get a tow truck to the scene, a female motorist from Lansford was helped by a Summit Hill police officer Tuesday afternoon.

Officer Jason Harrison said he was on routine patrol when he saw the woman’s van off to the side of the road along Lentz Trail.“I just asked her if everything was all right, and when she said AAA was going to be awhile, I told her I’d stick with her,” Harrison said.The department has a policy against jump-starting a vehicle because of all the computer equipment inside police cruisers.“I didn’t think we had any policies dealing with changing tires, so I got the jack out of the back of my vehicle and got to work,” Harrison said.The woman was very appreciative, he said, and many drivers passing by waved or gave a thumbs-up, including one who stopped to take a picture.“A lot of people view police in a negative light,” Harrison said, “but we’ll lend a hand wherever we can.”A passer-by, Scott Reese, of Lansford, who was on his way home to pick up his sons from school, stopped quickly at the scene Tuesday and took a photo of the good deed. He later posted it to Facebook, saying that he was impressed to see local law enforcement going the extra mile to help area residents.“It touched me, especially in today’s society where cops have been blasphemed so much lately,” he said. “It speaks a lot to the character of these guys.”