San Diego Highwayman

“HIGHWAYMAN” TOM WELLER, WHO AIDED THOUSANDS OF STRANDED MOTORISTS, NOW NEEDS HELP FOR EMERGENCY HOME REPAIRS

Photos and story by Karen Pearlman

June 11, 2025 (El Cajon) – He spent more than 50 years helping close to 10,000 stranded motorists along all stretches of freeways across San Diego County, and now Thomas Weller could use some assistance of his own.

While health issues forced him off the road in 2017, Weller (photo left, Weller in front of his El Cajon home) still goes by the name “San Diego Highwayman” for his decades of service changing tires, replacing batteries, filling up empty gas tanks, standing watch over drivers and passengers in need – all at no charge.

The calling card he always handed out to those whom he helped reads: “Assisting you has been my pleasure. I ask for no payment other than for you to pass on the favor by helping someone in distress that you may encounter.”


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EAST COUNTY GOOD SAMARITAN RECOGNIZED WORLDWIDE FOR PAYING IT FORWARD, HELPING STRANDED MOTORISTS

 

Story and photos by Sharon A. Penny

December 1, 2013 (El Cajon)--Thomas Weller of El Cajon has had stories printed throughout the nation about his acts of kindness (by CBS News, The LA Times, People Magazine and NPR, among others), as well as international publications. Yet this East County man remains humble and steadfast in his pursuit of paying it forward.

Weller, known as the San Diego Highwayman (www.sandiegohighwayman.com) has been helping distressed motorists for almost 50 years. He never accepts payment for his kind gestures – which include providing gas for empty tanks to replacing batteries to fixing flats. Instead, he hands each motorist a card with the following inscription:

“Assisting you has been my pleasure. I ask for no payment other than for you to pass on the favor by helping someone in distress that you may encounter.”


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

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