February 23, 2019 at 12:46PM
Five tips to stay safe on icy, snowy roads in Iowa. Des Moines Register
As the battered SUV came to rest in an embankment just outside Des Moines, the Nebraska mother in the driver's seat couldn't reach her youngest daughter's hand.
It was Feb. 6. "Thunder sleet" fell in central Iowa. Sara Nicholson's vehicle, filled with her husband and three young children, skidded off the interstate and down a hill just outside of Des Moines. They were all badly injured.
Nicholson was talking to a 911 operator when a woman arrived. The good Samaritan scooped up the youngest child, swaddled her in blankets and held her close as rescue crews arrived and began removing the family from the dismembered vehicle.
Days later, as her family recovered in the hospital, Nicholson couldn't stop thinking about the stranger who'd been by their side that cold Wednesday afternoon.
All she knew was her first name: Deb.
"A wonderful, sweet woman named Deb climbed down the embankment to our car," Nicholson posted on Facebook on Sunday about the accident. "She held my injured baby when I couldn't, coached my husband and me, and kept my kids talking. She was our angel and cheerleader. She kept everyone calm. I would really LOVE to find her so I can thank her."
Debra Mitchell received a screenshot from her husband on Monday. It was a social media post by a woman named Sara.
Mitchell got on Facebook and replied right away: "You found me! I am literally crying right now because I've been trying to find out if you and your family are okay."
The 61-year-old retiree from a career in real estate and financial services had tried for more than a week with no luck to find the family she'd encountered that icy day.
On Monday afternoon the women reunited, this time in much more hospitable circumstances.
Mitchell and Nicholson embraced at a hospital where Nicholson's husband was still recovering from multiple surgeries. Their children had since returned to Lincoln, Nebraska, to be with other family.
"I think it could have been a lot more traumatic for my kids," Nicholson said of having Mitchell at the crash scene. "It made a huge difference."
Sara Nicholson's children recoveri from the crash at the hospital. (Photo11: Special to the Register)
Mitchell had planned on Feb. 6 to run some errands and grab a bite to eat in Des Moines. She was hardly down the road when the ice pellets started coming down. Mitchell took the next exit to turn back to her home in Waukee when she saw an SUV skid off the road and out of sight.
She dialed 911 as she ran down the embankment where the SUV had disappeared. There were voices, a relief, but she also noticed the airbags were deployed and blood was splattered on the passenger window.
"It was just the strangest thing; I was very calm. " Mitchell said of jumping into action, assessing the situation and trying to keep everyone calm.
The passenger door was stuck, but she was eventually able to use her shoulder to pry it open, attributing the rush of adrenaline to a higher power.
"Who knows where that strength came from," Mitchell said. "I'm not a feeble old woman, but good heavens."
More: 14,000 Iowans want the governor to pardon school snow days. She can't, but here's who can.
More: 'Thunder sleet' hits central Iowa ahead of snowfall Wednesday night creating 'dangerous' commutes
A 4-year-old girl in a car seat was bleeding. She scooped the youngest up to keep her warm as she began asking the 10-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl their names and what parts of their bodies hurt.
"I'm your friend," Mitchell recalled telling the scared family as she reached for Sara Nicholson's hand. "I'm here to help. I'm here to just stay with you."
That touch, Nicholson said, was so important to her as paramedics arrived to whisk the family off.
When Mitchell got home the afternoon of the crash she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her clothes were covered in burs from climbing around in the woods.
When recounting the story, people told Mitchell they wouldn't have the strength and courage to pull off the road in the middle of an ice storm to chase after a crashed vehicle.
"But I think we all do," said Mitchell, who grew up in Winterset. "Providing help really is the only response."
Nicholson and Mitchell are Facebook friends now. They both hope to meet again someday, away from the crash scene and hospital recovery rooms.
"There are still good people in this world and we can come together," Nicholson said. "What a positive experience one person can make in a person's life."
A GoFundMe page was created for the Nicholson family's recovery.
Read or Share this story: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2019/02/22/nebraska-lincoln-family-interstate-car-crash-waukee-woman-mitchell-nicholson-des-moines-iowa-winter/2948911002/
Five tips to stay safe on icy, snowy roads in Iowa. Des Moines Register
As the battered SUV came to rest in an embankment just outside Des Moines, the Nebraska mother in the driver's seat couldn't reach her youngest daughter's hand.
It was Feb. 6. "Thunder sleet" fell in central Iowa. Sara Nicholson's vehicle, filled with her husband and three young children, skidded off the interstate and down a hill just outside of Des Moines. They were all badly injured.
Nicholson was talking to a 911 operator when a woman arrived. The good Samaritan scooped up the youngest child, swaddled her in blankets and held her close as rescue crews arrived and began removing the family from the dismembered vehicle.
Days later, as her family recovered in the hospital, Nicholson couldn't stop thinking about the stranger who'd been by their side that cold Wednesday afternoon.
All she knew was her first name: Deb.
"A wonderful, sweet woman named Deb climbed down the embankment to our car," Nicholson posted on Facebook on Sunday about the accident. "She held my injured baby when I couldn't, coached my husband and me, and kept my kids talking. She was our angel and cheerleader. She kept everyone calm. I would really LOVE to find her so I can thank her."
Debra Mitchell received a screenshot from her husband on Monday. It was a social media post by a woman named Sara.
Mitchell got on Facebook and replied right away: "You found me! I am literally crying right now because I've been trying to find out if you and your family are okay."
The 61-year-old retiree from a career in real estate and financial services had tried for more than a week with no luck to find the family she'd encountered that icy day.
On Monday afternoon the women reunited, this time in much more hospitable circumstances.
Mitchell and Nicholson embraced at a hospital where Nicholson's husband was still recovering from multiple surgeries. Their children had since returned to Lincoln, Nebraska, to be with other family.
"I think it could have been a lot more traumatic for my kids," Nicholson said of having Mitchell at the crash scene. "It made a huge difference."
Sara Nicholson's children recoveri from the crash at the hospital. (Photo11: Special to the Register)
Mitchell had planned on Feb. 6 to run some errands and grab a bite to eat in Des Moines. She was hardly down the road when the ice pellets started coming down. Mitchell took the next exit to turn back to her home in Waukee when she saw an SUV skid off the road and out of sight.
She dialed 911 as she ran down the embankment where the SUV had disappeared. There were voices, a relief, but she also noticed the airbags were deployed and blood was splattered on the passenger window.
"It was just the strangest thing; I was very calm. " Mitchell said of jumping into action, assessing the situation and trying to keep everyone calm.
The passenger door was stuck, but she was eventually able to use her shoulder to pry it open, attributing the rush of adrenaline to a higher power.
"Who knows where that strength came from," Mitchell said. "I'm not a feeble old woman, but good heavens."
More: 14,000 Iowans want the governor to pardon school snow days. She can't, but here's who can.
More: 'Thunder sleet' hits central Iowa ahead of snowfall Wednesday night creating 'dangerous' commutes
A 4-year-old girl in a car seat was bleeding. She scooped the youngest up to keep her warm as she began asking the 10-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl their names and what parts of their bodies hurt.
"I'm your friend," Mitchell recalled telling the scared family as she reached for Sara Nicholson's hand. "I'm here to help. I'm here to just stay with you."
That touch, Nicholson said, was so important to her as paramedics arrived to whisk the family off.
When Mitchell got home the afternoon of the crash she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her clothes were covered in burs from climbing around in the woods.
When recounting the story, people told Mitchell they wouldn't have the strength and courage to pull off the road in the middle of an ice storm to chase after a crashed vehicle.
"But I think we all do," said Mitchell, who grew up in Winterset. "Providing help really is the only response."
Nicholson and Mitchell are Facebook friends now. They both hope to meet again someday, away from the crash scene and hospital recovery rooms.
"There are still good people in this world and we can come together," Nicholson said. "What a positive experience one person can make in a person's life."
A GoFundMe page was created for the Nicholson family's recovery.
Read or Share this story: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2019/02/22/nebraska-lincoln-family-interstate-car-crash-waukee-woman-mitchell-nicholson-des-moines-iowa-winter/2948911002/
Related Posts
Mt. Sinai wins Div. II Large Schools cheerleading crown - Newsday- Rocky Point soars to Small Schools Div. I cheerleading title - Newsday
- Photos from State Cheerleading championship: Webster Thomas - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
- Ravens Host 2019 Co-Ed Cheerleading Auditions - CBS Baltimore
- Pewamo-Westphalia competitive cheer wins Division 4 state championship - Lansing State Journal