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12-Yr-Old Steers Car To Safety When Grandfather Dies At The Wheel
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 30, 2012
Modified Jul 30, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 30, 2012
Modified Jul 30, 2012
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Last week, a 12-year-old girl managed to avert disaster when her grandfather died while driving on a NJ road. After the brakes didn't seem to work, Miranda Bowman managed to steer the car—which was accelerating and had hit 80 MPH at one point—into some bushes and trees in Millville, NJ. She told the Burlington County Times, "It sounds weird, but I saw people do this on TV. The car just kept running over bushes and trees. I ducked down and covered my head."
Miranda's grandfather, Paul Parker, had taken her go-karting, but on the way home, the 63-year-old was stricken. Miranda recounted, "He said he didn’t feel well and told me to just keep talking to him. Then he said he was scared, closed his eyes, and put his head on the glass. That’s when I knew he was dead."
According to the Burlington County Times, Parker's foot was still on the accelerator. "[Miranda] tried to dial 911, but in the heat of moment, couldn’t unlock her cellphone. 'I thought I was going to die too,' Miranda said. 'I didn’t know what to do. I took off my seat belt and slid over to put my foot on the brake, but I couldn’t stop it.'"
When she saw there was no oncoming traffic, she decided to turn into the bushes and trees, which did slow down the car. Finally, with the car stopped, she "kicked the door open and was just crying and screaming. People must have thought I was a lunatic."
Her mother, Stephanie Bowman, said, "As much as I am upset about losing my father, I can’t even imagine how worse this could have been... [Miranda] is my hero. You can’t imagine how proud I am of her."
Tagged
death at the wheel
driving
miranda bowman
nj
wheel
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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