- The survivor, Ryan Williams, recalled the incident in a Twitter thread after Bryant died unexpectedly in a helicopter crash on Sunday, aged 41.
- Bryant took photos of the accident on his cell phone, TMZ reported at the time .
- Williams said Bryant fist-bumped his son, high-fived his daughter, and offered words of wisdom in the months after the crash.
- "Kobe was a legend of a human," Williams said.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .
Kobe Bryant stopped to help when he witnessed a high-speed car crash in 2018.
Kobe Bryant
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Kobe Bryant stopped to help the people involved in a high-speed car accident he witnessed in 2018, and one of the survivors said the former Lakers shooting guard fist-bumped his son for months afterwards.
Bryant, a five-time NBA champion, died in a helicopter crash at age 41 on Sunday alongside his daughter, Gianna "Gigi" Bryant . Nine people died in the crash in Calabasas, California.
The news transcended sports, with executives from Apple and Microsoft expressing shock, sadness, and respect for the ex-basketball player's legacy .
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Bryant's death resurfaced a story from 15 months ago when he rushed to provide whatever assistance he could when he saw a car crash into another at 65 mph (104 kph) in the Newport Beach area of California.
One of the survivors, Ryan Williams, recalled the incident in a thread on Twitter .
"Kobe witnessed someone crash into me at 65 mph," he said. "He ran to my car. He helped. Most of all, he was kind. A week later, he saw me and my family at Starbucks. He told my wife how lucky I was to be alive."
TMZ reported at the time that a representative for Bryant said a Tesla driver told the Lakers icon that his phone was damaged from the accident, so Bryant offered to take photographs of the scene on his cell.
But Williams said Bryant's assistance did not stop at the scene. "From that time on, whenever we'd see him in Newport Coast, he continued to be kind," he tweeted. "A fist bump to my son a high five to my daughter a word of wisdom to me.
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"Six months ago, he needed an assistant and I was asked if I knew anyone. One of ours joined him. Every chance he got, he'd tell me, 'Cate is great!' He'd literally roll down his window at a stoplight just to tell me that including yesterday [Saturday]."
Williams said Bryant was even witness to another, separate, car accident late last year, too.
"A month ago, we witnessed another accident in the neighborhood," he said. "Kobe consoled each and every person on the scene, especially the kids. He was kind to them like he was kind to me.
"I will remember him for being legendary on the court. But more than anything, I will remember him for being kind to me, to my family, and to so many friends in our community. He was driven beyond measure and that drive didn't stop on the court.
"Kobe was a legend of a human. Today's new is absolutely devastating. My heart and prayers go out to the whole Bryant family, everyone at Kobe Inc. and all the others involved in this unthinkable tragedy."
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