Neighbors Lifted a 4,000-lb Car Off a 73-Year-Old

Zoa Mendez had been making flower deliveries her whole life. On a Thursday afternoon in January, one of those deliveries almost ended it.

The Car That Wouldn't Stop

On January 9, 2025, Mendez pulled up to Bennington Street in Lawrence, Massachusetts - a routine stop in a routine day. She stepped out of her car to make a delivery. The problem: she had left it in drive. The front tire rolled forward and onto her leg, pinning her beneath nearly 4,000 pounds of metal.

Every Person Within Earshot

She screamed. In Spanish, in English, in whatever words would come - "Oh God, oh God, please help, oh God." And the street responded. Neighbor Elvis Burgos was outside when he heard her. "She was screaming for help and grabbing onto my leg," he recalled, "and I was just trying to lift the car." His father came too. So did a dozen other people - residents, strangers, and Lawrence police officers - until roughly twelve people surrounded the vehicle and hoisted it clear.

"Who wouldn't do that?" Burgos said afterward. "First instinct."

The Woman Under the Car

Mendez is not just a delivery driver. She founded Mendez Flowers on Broadway in Lawrence nearly 30 years ago - a shop she started with her sister Constancia that her three children now help run. Her daughter Zoa Rosario, who manages the shop, described her mother as a woman of deep faith who considers her work a calling, not a job. "For her, it's not work," Rosario said.

What the Doctors Said

Mendez was taken to Lawrence General Hospital. She had sustained a hairline fracture in one leg and required surgery on the other. Doctors expected a full recovery - and they were right. She was able to put weight on both feet before leaving hospital. Her family called it a miracle. Her sister Constancia had a simpler message for Lawrence: "There are a lot of good people here. Thank you, thank you very much."

Twelve People, One Ton of Car

Burgos was asked if he considered himself a hero. He thought about it for a moment. "I don't think I'm a hero," he said. "It's just the right thing to do." Twelve strangers proved him wrong without even trying.