Hi, I'm a grandmother who was returning from a Celebration of Life with her grandson. We were on I-70 in Maryland near Hagerstown when the wind picked up a tree and thrust it at our car.

My grandson happened to look up and see the tree coming for us. He exclaimed, 'Tree!' I glanced over to him and saw that he was covered in glass. As was I, but I did not realize it.

The tree hit the windshield on the passenger side, went over our roof, and tore the passenger side rack mostly off. The passenger side was 'banged in' so my grandson could not open his door after we pulled over.

We were blessed the Subaru saved our lives. We came away with minor cuts and scratches. My grandson had cuts on his arm, foot, and ear. I had them on my arm, wrist, and fingers of both hands.

Unfortunately, the damage to the frame of the car on the hood and dash impacted the integrity of the Subaru and therefore was declared 'totaled' by the insurance company.

Because the Outback was a 2013 with 240K miles, the insurance company provided a very minor payoff. I had spent over $10k making sure my car was mechanically in tip-top shape, but that did not sway its value in the eyes of the insurance company.

My sister and I live on a fixed income. We depended on this auto to get us to doctors, grocery stores, etc., and cannot afford to buy a new car. My goal is to buy a used car that will carry us through our driving needs for the next few years.