Spring Break 2010 has forever changed Tara O’Malley, 18, from Thousand Oaks, California. A freshman at the University of Arizona, Tara and a few friends were excited to attend a concert in Ventura, and Tara agreed to be the designated driver.
The concert lasted longer than expected, and by the time Tara dropped off each of her friends it was nearly 3 o’clock in the morning. Her last stop was to drop off her boyfriend in Moorpark just a couple exits from her house. Her mom called to check on her and Tara told her that she would be home in 15 minutes.
She remembers getting on the freeway and heading home and because she was so tired, she made sure she was driving exactly 65 miles per hour. “I remember seeing the sign ‘Olsen Road 1 Mile,’ and the next thing I knew, I woke up and my car was flipping over and over. I found out later that I had hit a light pole and the impact must have jolted me awake,” said Tara. According to Tara’s dad, Robert, the car had flipped end over front several times because the Highway Patrol officers found five areas of impact. Tara’s car continued to flip down a 50-foot embankment onto the freeway ramp below and landed upright. By this time, Tara was in total shock. “It was so dark. I had no idea where I was. I couldn’t open the doors because they were stuck shut, and I couldn’t find my cell phone. The sunroof was smashed but there was an opening; so I took off my seatbelt, stood up through the opening and screamed for help. I looked to my right and saw a car driving toward me. It was a police officer. He had heard the car crash so he rushed over to make sure I was okay and then called the paramedics.”
She remembers getting on the freeway and heading home and because she was so tired, she made sure she was driving exactly 65 miles per hour. “I remember seeing the sign ‘Olsen Road 1 Mile,’ and the next thing I knew, I woke up and my car was flipping over and over. I found out later that I had hit a light pole and the impact must have jolted me awake,” said Tara. According to Tara’s dad, Robert, the car had flipped end over front several times because the Highway Patrol officers found five areas of impact. Tara’s car continued to flip down a 50-foot embankment onto the freeway ramp below and landed upright. By this time, Tara was in total shock. “It was so dark. I had no idea where I was. I couldn’t open the doors because they were stuck shut, and I couldn’t find my cell phone. The sunroof was smashed but there was an opening; so I took off my seatbelt, stood up through the opening and screamed for help. I looked to my right and saw a car driving toward me. It was a police officer. He had heard the car crash so he rushed over to make sure I was okay and then called the paramedics.”
After checking to see if Tara had any neck pain or trouble moving, the paramedics helped her get out of the car through the passenger side door, and she actually walked to the ambulance. While inside the ambulance, someone had found her cell phone that was wedged between the windshield and the dashboard and they asked her if she wanted to call her mom. “I was just so flustered. I was bawling and crying. I couldn’t even use the phone, so I asked
them if they could please call her for me, and just as they were looking for her number, my mom called to see where I was. Then my boyfriend called to see if I had gotten home okay.”
Tara was taken to the hospital, and as a precaution, they ran blood work and X-Rays. Amazingly, she had a small gash on her head and her eye area, a large bump, her thumb was swollen and she had a bad bone bruise to her shin. The doctors determined later that she suffered a concussion.
The California Highway Patrol officers who arrived at the scene of the accident after Tara’s ambulance had already left were shocked to see Tara sitting up and talking with her family in the hospital. “They asked me if I remembered hitting the light pole, and I hadn’t even seen the pole. Then they asked me if I had been drinking, which I hadn’t at all,” said Tara. They told my parents, ‘I can’t believe your daughter right now. When we showed up at the accident, we thought the person in that car didn’t survive.’ One of the officers said that his cousin had just been in a similar accident but didn’t make it.”
After a few hours, Tara was released from the hospital. Later that day, Tara’s parents were the ones in shock after seeing the wrecked Volvo. Robert O’Malley summed up their feelings, “We are very grateful that we still have her. We thank God and Volvo!”
Tara only missed one week of school. She just completed her freshman year at the University of Arizona and is looking forward to the summer break. “I’ve been telling everyone I know that I’m going to drive a Volvo for the rest of my life.”
them if they could please call her for me, and just as they were looking for her number, my mom called to see where I was. Then my boyfriend called to see if I had gotten home okay.”Tara was taken to the hospital, and as a precaution, they ran blood work and X-Rays. Amazingly, she had a small gash on her head and her eye area, a large bump, her thumb was swollen and she had a bad bone bruise to her shin. The doctors determined later that she suffered a concussion.
The California Highway Patrol officers who arrived at the scene of the accident after Tara’s ambulance had already left were shocked to see Tara sitting up and talking with her family in the hospital. “They asked me if I remembered hitting the light pole, and I hadn’t even seen the pole. Then they asked me if I had been drinking, which I hadn’t at all,” said Tara. They told my parents, ‘I can’t believe your daughter right now. When we showed up at the accident, we thought the person in that car didn’t survive.’ One of the officers said that his cousin had just been in a similar accident but didn’t make it.”
After a few hours, Tara was released from the hospital. Later that day, Tara’s parents were the ones in shock after seeing the wrecked Volvo. Robert O’Malley summed up their feelings, “We are very grateful that we still have her. We thank God and Volvo!”
Tara only missed one week of school. She just completed her freshman year at the University of Arizona and is looking forward to the summer break. “I’ve been telling everyone I know that I’m going to drive a Volvo for the rest of my life.”
