83-year-old Cedarburg voter gets new car with help of community

NOW: 83-year-old Cedarburg voter gets new car with help of community
NEXT:

CEDARBURG, Wis.(CBS 58) -- A month after election day, the man that went viral for walking to his polling place has gotten a car with the help of the community.

83-year-old John Pinter was returning from a business trip to get home in time for election day when he hit a deer.

"I got three miles from Cedarburg and I hit a deer," said Pinter.

That accident totaled Pinter's Buick.

"It's the American thing. It's a privilege," said Pinter.

Pinter has emphysema, but grabbed his cane and made about a mile walk to the polling place.

His journey went viral and sparked a GoFundMe to raise money for a new car.

Pinter's landlord, Jack Arnett started the GoFundMe and said on the site "I am Mr. Pinter's landlord and I have known him for 15 years. He is a bit of a character... I plan to contact some local businesses that sell cars so that Mr. Pinter can get a good deal...hopefully at cost. I figure he can get a replacement for his 2000 Buick for about $2,000."

Hometown Car Care stepped in. Over a thousand dollars was raised through the GoFundMe, and Hometown matched the donations.

"It's been kind of fun and exciting, the hunt to try to find him a good car, something reliable, get it fixed up for him," said Charlie Lotter, Hometown Car Care General Manager.

With that money, they bought a 2003 Chevy Impala on auction and fixed it up.

"Wow. It's a amazing, unbelievable. I don't know what to say anymore it's so great," said Pinter. Pinter says he's excited to get back to work. He travels around the state and the Midwest as a distributor to hardware stores. He's also made and patented some of his own products.

"I'm back in business." said Pinter "It's a way of life. I love it. When you sit in your house for three weeks waiting for your livelihood to come back you twiddle your fingers, you don't know what to do. I have a business mailbox in Elm Grove. I didn't get to my mailbox for almost a month."

Pinter got the keys to the Impala Friday, but was hit in a roundabout the same day.

"Just a headlight and a fender. We'll fix it right up," said Lotter. Pinter's car is back in the shop, and will be ready in a few days.

In the meantime, Pinter is positive.

"My saying is, when the going gets tough, only the tough get going, everything will come together in the end, never give up."

Share this article: