MONROE COUNTY, Mich. (NewsNation) — A loud crash Sunday afternoon sent neighbors running to help in Monroe County, Michigan, after a vehicle crashed into a riverbank, flew into the air and landed in the water.
Truck crashes into riverbank
Caught on video, a truck was seen speeding down the road when it hit the riverbank. The woman who was driving the truck was reportedly under the influence, WDIV-TV reported, and three children were also inside the vehicle at the time of the crash.
Shawlynn Reece’s 13-year-old daughter, Tavin, was in the car when it crashed. Tavin suffered only minor injuries, including two black eyes and a bad ankle, but she told NewsNation that she’s thankful to those who rushed to help her.
“The people that got me out of the car, made sure to call my mom and call the cops, and to the people that like, came to visit me and have texted me to make sure I’m alright,” Tavin said.
Shawlynn Reece said they were all lucky to survive.
“When I came up to the scene she was laying on the ground crying for me, shivering, she was in shock,” she said. “Her friend was next to her; the third girl was up against the windshield.”
Coping with the wreck
She also said her daughter is still struggling to cope with what has happened.
“She’s very traumatized to even get into a vehicle at this point,” Shawlynn Reece said. “We were happy to bring her home, but unfortunately the effect of that on her was she was still in such shock and the emotion of it, she was just shaking in the car and she ended up getting sick on the way home.”
And it’s not just Tavin who is dealing with the shock and impact of the accident.
“Watching that video, my heart sinks every single time,” Shawlynn Reece said. “In that moment, I do just have to thank God that my baby girl is alive. That all of those girls are alive.”
The mother who was driving remains in the hospital Thursday, but Shawlynn Reece said she has been in contact with the other two girls who are recovering, one of whom had to have surgery.
So far, no charges have been filed against the driver, and the crash remains under investigation. Everyone is just thankful they all survived.