BELLEVILLE, IL (KTVI) – A Wednesday night reunion was filled with hugs and smiles because of a chance encounter.

On Sunday night, Hallie Beattie and two friends were heading to Sparta from St. Louis when her Honda Accord broke down at the Belleville Quick Trip on Old Collinsville Road. That’s when 19-year-old Aubree Taylor stepped in and offered to help. The college freshman went the extra mile. He not only gave the women a ride to purchase a new car battery, but he installed it and checked their oil as well.

To show their appreciation, the ladies snapped a picture of Aubree fixing the car and posted a “thank you” note on Facebook. Within hours, the photo went viral and now the student is getting hundreds friend requests from around the world.

Taylor said he was happy to help out.

“…People from Canada and Austria messaged me and said, ‘That’s a good thing. I know what your country is going through,’ and I was excited,” Taylor said.

Nowadays, Hallie’s car is running just fine. As for Aburee, he said he was glad to do a good deed and practice the values he’s been taught his whole life.

“I never thought in a million years it would become this big of a deal,” Beattie said. “Just thought it was good to point out the positive things that our young men are doing instead of the bad.”

“I was just grateful and proud of the young men being raised.”