8-year-old Girl Scout survived a head-on crash that flipped her car — instead of running to safety, she made one unexpected move
An accident leaves a person blank, to the point where they freeze. However, 8-year-old Girl Scout Amelia Freeland surprised everyone with an unexpected reaction. The youngster was riding with her friends when the vehicle they were in crashed on State Road 64 near Stendal. As 14 News reported on September 4, 2026, the little girl braved the odds and got herself to safety. However, she made another daring move that deserves applause.
The little girl was riding home from a Girl Scout trip to Holiday World on August 29, 2026, when the vehicle she was in was hit head-on. Her mother, Tasha Cox, said her daughter later told the family that their car flipped over and the other vehicle was on fire. In the middle of all that chaos, the 8-year-old unbuckled her own seat belt, climbed out, and then turned her attention to the other children. “She went and helped the other kids trapped inside unbuckle their seat belts,” Cox recalled. That single act helped save two other lives — 8-year-old Oaklie Disney and 5-year-old Theodore Wertman. For Cox, it was hard to imagine what her little girl had just been through, and even harder to believe that she was thinking about helping someone else while she was in danger herself.
The crash was especially devastating because not everyone survived. Amanda Wertman and her 8-year-old daughter, Michaela, were killed in the collision, along with the driver of the other vehicle. Amelia suffered compressed fractures in her neck and a painful bruise around her right hip and pelvic area. She and Theodore continue to recover at home since their discharge, while Oaklie is still receiving treatment for major injuries at the hospital, including brain bleeds. All three families have received an outpouring of community support through the GoFundMe and other means. Cox said she is grateful for that support and is praying for the other families affected by the crash.
A split-second decision can sometimes make all the difference when someone is in danger. Yet, it can be one of the hardest things that requires immense courage. In another life-saving instance, 19-year-old Juan Mendoza rushed to help a retired couple trapped inside a smoke-filled car after a highway crash. He was returning from a doctor's appointment with his girlfriend when he saw a car spinning off the highway at high speed. The teen recalled how he had seconds to make a decision. In that short time, he thought about how the victims might have a family and need intervention. He was the only good Samaritan who stepped in, and it made all the difference. He pulled them out of the vehicle before medical help arrived. The couple later called him their "angel." Both stories are a strong reminder of how a little intervention and courage can make a life-saving difference.
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