Pregnant Provo Woman Credited for Saving Husband & Sister after Rollover Accident
News Media Contact
Thomas McAllister, News Director
Thomas.McAllister@AlertIDinc.com
Pregnant Provo Woman Credited for Saving Husband & Sister after Rollover Accident
During Thanksgiving weekend on East I-80 near Elk Mountain, Wyoming, Eight months pregnant, Erika Grow was involved in a rollover accident while driving her husband, Kevin Grow, her 17-year-old sister, Naomi Merrill, and her two young sons to Aurora, Colorado, to visit her mother and father for Thanksgiving.
The vehicle hit a patch of black ice on the interstate and spun out of control, Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper John Page said. The vehicle slid off the road and rolled three times before landing on its wheels. During the accident, Kevin Grow and Naomi Merrill were ejected from the vehicle because they were not wearing their seat belts, Page said. However, Erika Grow and her 2 and 3-year-old sons were “virtually unscathed” Page said.
In the in the below freezing weather which was accompanied by rain, Erika
Grow immediately began pulling put addition clothing on her children to keep them warm. Emergency responders arrived and located Kevin Grow about 75 feet away from the vehicle. The family involved in the rollover accident was immediately transported by ambulance to the Memorial Hospital in Carbon County in Rawlins, Wyoming.
According to other family members – Erika Grow’s yet to be born baby boy is doing great, and her husband and sister who still remain in the Intensive Care Unit at the University of Utah Hospital are expected to recover. – Photos and quotes are courtesy of KSL
It’s our mission at AlertID to provide you with up-to-date security, safety and health information and prevention methods. Please see our 5 tips that can save you and your loved one’s lives when black ice is present on the road:
- Decrease your speed: leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you
- Brake gently: to avoid skidding ease off the brake or your wheels start to lock up
- Turn on your lights: this will increase your visibility while driving through a storm
- Keep your lights and windshield clean: passing vehicles can spray your window with mud and slush. We encourage you to replace your worn windshield-wiper blades with winter blades to fight snow and ice build-up if the weather is harsh. If you’re driving long distance, then you should consider stopping periodically to clean your headlights of any mud and dirt
- Don’t use cruise control or overdrive: winter driving requires you to be in full control of the vehicle
- Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads: these types of roads tend to freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing – if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges
- Keep calm: in the event that your car skids you should: 1) slowly take your foot off the gas pedal, 2) do not use your brakes, and 3) steer your vehicle in the direction you wish to travel
Sources:
http://www.accuweather.com (Accuweather.com News)
http://calstate.aaa.com/auto/car-traffic-safety/winter-driving (AAA Winter Driving)