A young woman has shared a chilling encounter she experienced while walking alone in broad daylight, leaving her in tears. Steph Claire Smith, from Melbourne, was out on her daily walk when she noticed a man behind the wheel of a van start following her. The driver persistently circled around her, staring her down, which made her uneasy. She called her now-husband, Josh, and asked him to stay on the phone for her safety. However, the van driver continued to follow her, making her increasingly scared. Smith stated, “I would really love you to come and just be with me.” The pair went straight to the police to report the incident after Josh arrived. Smith emphasized that this experience has made her more cautious and that she now constantly carries her phone ready to dial triple-zero or calls Josh when feeling unsafe. Reflecting on the encounter, she said, “I have not walked the same route since then and am constantly either calling Josh when I’m feeling (scared) or having triple-0 just ready on my phone and it’s just s***.” Smith’s friend, Laura Henshaw, expressed her sympathy, saying, “It just sucks. We just want to go for a run or a walk.” The pair decided to share their experiences about feeling unsafe while exercising outdoors alone after a British woman named Nelly recently went viral for revealing the extraordinary measures she takes to feel safe while running. Their stories highlight the need for women to take extra precautions and be aware of their surroundings when exercising alone.
Young Woman Details Chilling Encounter with Suspicious Van Driver
