car crash

It's not every day you hear that a car crash prevented an accident rather than caused it, but that's exactly what happened one morning when one high school student was on her way to school.Nobody Wanted to Help a Stranger — Until One Teenage Girl Came to the RescuePatricia Horwell / Florida WeeklyTeenager Olivia Jones had only just obtained her driver's license when the unthinkable happened. While she had stopped at a red light, Olivia looked over and noticed the driver in the lane next to her appearing unwell, to say the least.At first, Olivia wasn't sure what she was seeing. “I thought she was texting, because she was looking down, straight down," but Olivia was dead wrong. In reality what was about to happen would take "distracted driving" to a whole new level. Olivia was ready to turn away and focus on the road ahead when the worst thing that could happen, happened. "She started seizing,” Olivia recalled.It's safe to say when it comes to "fight, flight, or freeze," Olivia's definitely the former. Her fighter instincts kicked in at just the right time and the teenage athlete sprung into action — literally. YouTube / WSTP NewsWhile still at the red light, Olivia flung open her car door and launched herself in to the middle of traffic, waving and screaming to the other driver's in their cars, signalling for help. Despite her frantic efforts, not one single driver came to her aid. This shocking lack of response left Olivia with no choice, and the clock was ticking. Now completely incapacitated, the seizing driver's car was sliding into oncoming traffic. Without a moment's hesitation, Olivia did the only thing she knew how to do.She Took the Hit — So No One Else Had ToIn an act of courage and quick thinking, Olivia put herself in harm's way, in order to save the seizing driver and the other drivers in oncoming traffic.The debilitated driver was completely helpless. When Olivia realized no one else on the road was prepared to inconvenience themselves to help save a stranger (and everyone else in her path), she jumped back into her own car and did the gutsiest thing she could do.She allowed the seizing driver to T-bone her car, in order to prevent the driver from barreling head first into oncoming traffic. Olivia pulled off this crazy move by maneuvering her car up and around the cross walk and twisting her wheel all the way to the left — I bet they don't teach that in Driver's Ed.The damage wasn't pretty, but for Olivia? The real damage that would have happened had she not been there, would have been far worse than a dent in her 2003 Nissan Altima.Bobby Lewis / WSTPAfter the successful crash (you don't hear that everyday), Olivia rushed out of her car, set the woman’s vehicle in park, and removed her seatbelt. The woman had blood in her mouth and had involuntarily wet herself, so Olivia helped her onto the floor as she called 911. Only 2 minutes later, an ambulance arrived and rushed the woman to the hospital. It's easy to chalk up Olivia's bravery to just young dumb luck, but the truth is, her heroic act was just a testament to her character.Bravery Was in Her Nature and It Paid OffYouTube / WSTP NewsEven though Olivia's friends were quick to call her rescue mission "dumb," many authority figures saw her act in a different light. "She just jumped right in. It was amazing. It was amazing. We’re so proud of her," one teacher remarked of her courage.“I was just really blown away when I was told the story. That’s so her. That’s so Olivia." Leslie Hopkins, Clearwater PrincipalWhen Olivia's story was shared, it was clear she's a standout student in more ways than one. The Clearwater High School athlete is a volleyball star. She shared she had plans of attending college on a volleyball scholarship and becoming an orthopaedic surgeon — and while it may be too early to tell if Olivia has a promising career in the medical field, she certainly has the quick decision-making chops for the job!In the midst of feeling overwhelmed and scared, she still managed to find a solution. "My legs were shaking," Olivia shared, "I was really nervous."She Had No Plans to Repair Her Vehicle DamageEven though Olivia was more than happy to sport a dent on her car door (because what high school student can afford to pay for car repairs), her selfless act caught the attention of a local auto body shop — who chose to mirror Olivia's selfless act of kindness and step up. Boy, did they not disappoint.Bobby Lewis / WSTPThe mechanics surprised Olivia when they offered to fix her car for free! To sweeten the deal, the mechanics even incorporated a few extra touches, decking out Olivia's Nissan with black and red stripes, mirroring the school colors she sports on her volleyball jersey."Being young that gives her incentive to be good, to not to turn your back on somebody but to help somebody out,” said Alan Bland, the man who fixed her car.Try and Put Yourself in Someone Else’s ShoesSuccess ConsciousnessIt's easy to think we know what we'd do in a scary situation, but sometimes, when the unthinkable happens, our brains go into survival mode. Like the other drivers in traffic — we want to stay as far away from the chaos as possible.Studies have proven if you're in trouble, don't yell "HELP" — instead shout, “FIRE, FIRE, FIRE” at the top of your lungs. People will stop and pay attention if you yell "fire" because it has a connection to their safety and they will run to your aid to see what's happening. If you've ever witnessed something troubling happen and you've stood by instead of stood up — it doesn't make you a bad person. Just know it's your human nature kicking in trying to protect you. However, as Olivia's story proves, if we can find the strength to be superhuman — even if for only a few quick moments — it can make all the difference for someone who needs the "protection" more than we do.It's hard to put yourself in someone else's shoes, especially when it's an inconvenient time like rush hour...but it's not hard to imagine how grateful the driver who had the seizure is for Olivia's kindness. After all, wouldn't you be?