The deadly crash occurred the evening of Aug. 29 after a day at a local amusement park, according to the girl’s mother
Credit: STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Stock Images
NEED TO KNOW
- An 8-year-old Girl Scout in Indiana helped another child escape after their vehicle was hit head-on and flipped while returning from a trip to a local theme park on Aug. 29
- The girl’s mother said her daughter unbuckled herself, got out of the vehicle and then helped the other child
- Three people, including a mother and daughter, were killed in the crash
The mother of an Indiana Girl Scout says her daughter helped save another child after a harrowing head-on collision that killed multiple people.
Tasha Freeland of Pike County says her 8-year-old daughter, Amelia Freeland, was riding in the car with a family friend and three other children on State Road 64 after spending the day on a Girl Scout trip at a local amusement park on Aug. 29 when the incident occurred, according to local news stations News 14 and 16 News Now.
“This accident happened about 8 p.m. on Saturday night. I got a call 40 minutes, 45 minutes later that she was in this accident,” Tasha said while speaking to News 14.
The car that Amelia was riding in — which was being driven by Amanda Wertman — had been hit head-on by a car that was fleeing from Pike County sheriff’s deputies, according to the Indiana State Police (ISP), per News 14.
ISP and the Pike County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Amanda, 41, and the driver of the other vehicle — who has not been publicly identified — died at the scene, according to News 14. Amanda’s daughter, Michaela, 8, also later died from her injuries.
Credit: Raymond Boyd/Getty
Tasha said her daughter later explained that she and the other passengers were flipped upside down after the impact.
“My kiddo told us that the car flipped over and that the other car was on fire,” Tasha told News 14. “She unbuckled her seat belt and got out. Then she went and helped the other kids unbuckle their seat belts.”
Amelia was able to successfully help Theodore Wertman, 5, out of the vehicle, according to her mother. They then waited by the side of the road until authorities arrived.
A third child, Oaklie Disney, 8, remains hospitalized with severe injuries, according to News 14.
Tasha told the outlet that Amelia has been released from the hospital and is currently recovering from a number of injuries caused by the crash.
“She has compressed fractures in her neck. They told me it’ll be about four to six weeks before they should be healing,” she said while speaking to 16 News Now.
“She’s got a pretty nasty bruise on her hip and her pelvic area on the right side,” Tasha continued.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“Amelia’s saying it hurts when she walks a certain way. So she’s walking where it feels comfortable,” she added.
The mom said she is grateful for the outpouring of support she has received from her community since the accident, and added that she is praying for all those affected by the tragedy.
Read the full article here
