09/10/2026
Back in 2018, Joey Romano was a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin when he swerved to avoid a car while skateboarding, slammed into a ditch, and broke his wrist. Uninsured and worried about the cost of an ambulance, he called an Uber instead — a decision that would change the course of his life.
The driver who showed up was Beni Lukumu, who found Romano still lying on the ground, gently helped him into the car, reclined the seat for comfort, and drove him first to urgent care and then to the ER when the injury turned out to be more serious. Lukumu refused payment for the ride, and when he learned Romano had no family nearby, he stayed — sitting with him from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m., signing him in and keeping him company, even though it cost him hours of paid work.
Romano, who was quietly grieving the death of his younger brother at the time, said the gesture cracked his world back open. The two have stayed in touch for more than seven years since.
