Yellowstone

On November 13, 2022 around 10:00 pm I was driving home to meet my mom to watch the season premier of Yellowstone. I did driver’s education on-line back in February of 2021 due to COVID restrictions and got my license on December 24th, 2021. What a great Christmas gift. My point is I am still considered a new driver but I almost have a year under my belt. So Sunday night while I was driving home I noticed a white car in front of me all over the road. At first, I thought it was maybe kids being idiots driving in the wrong lane on purpose or even showing off. So I slowed down and still continued on my way as did the white car.The white car went onto the same highway as I and again I followed from a safe distance as taught in driver’s education.

While going on the on ramp the white car had a lot of trouble navigating the ramp then finally got onto the highway going southbound. The vehicle then sped up at a high rate of speed and I lost sight of it. I continued to drive and saw it slowdown and speed up. At this point I couldn’t use my cell phone as I am considered a junior operator and it’s against the law. I started to drive defensively as taught in drivers education to avoid an accident. I was not able to safely pass the white car so I just stayed back at a safe distance but close enough that I could still see the taillights. Then I saw the white car lose control and crash into the guardrails and end up in the high speed travel lane disabled. I had enough distance from the car that I was able to get over to the breakdown lane and get my cell phone. I called my mom because she is a police officer and I didn’t know what to do and was a little shaken up. The first thing she told me was don’t get out of the car due to it being dark out and the car is disabled in the high speed lane. My mom then called 911 from the house phone while she stayed on the line with me on our cell phones. At this point I could see the interior light of the white car come on but couldn’t see anyone. At this time I could hear my mother telling State Police about the accident then it got worse.

Another car traveling southbound in the high speed lane never saw the crashed white car and slammed into it at full force and that car then flipped in the air three times and came so close to hitting my car then went over into the guard rails into the woods. I just remember screaming so bad and having a hard time breathing. My mother said she was screaming my name Madison, Madison, Madison what’s happening but I honestly don’t remember hearing her. It was tunnel vision and now it just went from a one person accident to a 2 person accident. I don’t know how long I sat there in my car but then I remember hearing my mother yelling, “Madison if you can drive away safely, leave the scene”. I must have been in auto pilot mode because in 5 minutes I was home. The accident occurred right at the exit to my house.

I do believe the operator in the white car was intoxicated and if I didn’t drive defensively the way I did that night it would have been me instead of the second car who innocently crashed into the first one. I believe by taking driver’s education it saved my life that night. What also blew my mind about this accident is that no one stopped except me, a 17 year old girl who almost has her license for 1 year. I made the phone call to get help coming and by doing this I witnessed the most traumatic thing I have seen in my life. When I say it was like a scene from a movie it was. The State Trooper who was investigating the accident called me the next day to say I was the only witness and thanked me. She did inform me that the second car that flipped the operator didn’t have a scratch on him which was a miracle in itself. She said the operator of the first car got out of the car and was standing in front of it when the second car crashed into him. He got hit by his own car and remains in ICU. The trooper did report that the operator of the first car had a suspended license and was a habitual traffic offender so shouldn’t have been driving in the first place. So maybe if the court systems would hold people accountable like jail time that would be a step to reduce deaths related to driving. And I think calling in the accident was a step to make everyone safer on the road and I wish more people would do the same.