Hello! I am an 18-year-old girl who recently jumped/fell 40 feet off an overpass on I-49N after getting into a car accident. I was on my way to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to work for DoorDash—something I did often. An animal ran out into the road, and the left lane was completely empty, so I tried to merge over, but I turned the wheel too fast, and my car spun around in circles and slammed into the guard rail. It was smashed up and turned sideways, taking up the middle of the road. I couldn’t move it and was afraid to try again because I seen sparks flying and there was liquid pouring out of my car. I ran to the shoulder and called 911 with my flashlight on, waving my hands around in the air to try and stop the cars I saw. If you know this road, you know it can be curvy and hilly, so it was hard to see cars until they were close. A couple of cars went by and pulled over on the side of the road, but then I remembered seeing a semi-truck coming towards me. My car was turned sideways in the middle of both lanes, so he was driving on the shoulder—where I was standing. I know from past experiences that it takes longer for semis to come to a complete stop, and when I saw how close he was getting, I made the quick decision to jump over the guard rail, not fully realizing how far up I was- just trying to climb over and hang down. I decided I wasn’t going to wait and see if he’d stop last minute or not, so I jumped. I’m glad I did because I was told I most likely wouldn’t have survived if I didn’t. The shoulder was only 3 feet wide. I’ve fractured my sternum, fractured a rib, broke stuff in my back, and broke my pelvis. I’m told that I should be able to walk again with time, but will need to use a wheelchair for the next few months.

Due to the circumstances of the accident and not having full coverage insurance, we will not be able to get a new car. My 61-year-old mother and I shared this vehicle, so she is having to get rides from people now. I live in a two-story home and will need to purchase a stair lift, which isn’t covered by my insurance (SoonerCare). I do have money in my savings account, but I was planning to use this for college. I want to be a nurse practitioner in medical aesthetics, so I will need to go to school for 6-8 years and take extra courses on aesthetics. I was using the money I made from DoorDash to buy stuff I need so I can save money for school, but now I am not able to work for a while. 

If you would like to verify this incident, the accident report number is 202523711ASP. Thank you in advance for any help! All prayers, shares, and donations are appreciated