Our children are always watching us, even when we don’t realize they’re paying attention.
Mariah Galloway has observed her mother and other family members driving a car so many times, she knew just what to do when she was involved in a scary incident right in her own driveway. The trouble began one day when the 8-year-old’s great-grandmother, Patricia Lynch, picked her up from school and brought her home.
Patricia had done this many times, but on this day, a moment of inattention nearly turned deadly. While Mariah was still in the car, the 79-year-old accidentally put her Chevy Equinox in the wrong gear.
“She thought her car was in park but it was in reverse,” Mariah told GMA. “It started moving and she tried to stop it and she fell and the tire [went] over her foot.”
In the blink of an eye, Mariah knew what to do. She leaped into the front seat and quickly pulled the keys from the ignition, stopping the car in its tracks. With Patricia’s leg trapped under the car’s front left wheel, Mariah rushed to the house to get help. The family’s video doorbell captured her panicked moments.
“I didn’t know her foot was under there but I knew she could still get hurt because her body was under there,” said the second grader.
Mariah’s mom, Porchia Lane, came running, calling an ambulance when she realized what had happened. Somehow Patricia was able to pull herself out from under the car’s tire, but her leg was badly injured and bleeding heavily.
“Mariah was able to go grab a towel. We wrapped her leg up and caught the ambulance,” Porchia recalled, adding, “She really thought fast.”
Patricia is now recovering at Trinity Health Oakland Hospital, and Mariah is being hailed a hero for her quick thinking. Even though the child admitted she felt scared during the accident, she managed to keep a cool head and averted further tragedy.
Porchia is left to count her lucky stars that her daughter was watching her while she drove.
“Know that your kids are always paying attention,” she urges other parents. “I really talked to Mariah and instilled in her to just follow her heart and make right decisions. It just makes me proud that she just was able to think fast and she probably was more calm than me in this situation because I would have been frantic.”
What a smart cookie! We know who we want around if there’s an emergency. Strong work, Mariah!
Share this story to give Mariah a virtual high-five for saving the day.
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