90-Year-Old Crash Survivor 'Happy to Be Here'
Tillie Tooter - then 83 years old - was trapped in her car after it had been rear-ended on a highway and fell into a swamp.
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December 11, 2009
Her ordeal stunned the nation a decade ago when Tillie Tooter - then 83 years old - was trapped in her car after it had been rear-ended on a highway and fell into a swamp. Amazingly, the woman survived and has recently made a media appearance talking about her ordeal and how she has been able to thrive nonetheless.
She told NBC's The Today Show that she still drives and has embarked on a project speaking to seniors at Florida's retirement communities to "never give up hope."
"I don't dwell on [my physical problems due to the accident]. We live today, and I'm happy to be here," she told Meredith Vieira.
The most recent data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics suggests that 1.5 million Americans were injured in passenger car crashes in 2006.
Excessive speed and intoxication are considered by experts to be the main factors behind most of such accidents, and they recommend complying with local speed limits and refraining from driving after drinking alcohol or using drugs.
The use of seat belts is also a proven method to save lives during road accidents.
As for Totter, she survived on a piece of peppermint candy, a stick of gum and a cough drop. She also used a pair of golf socks to absorb rainwater and sucked the moisture out of them. Finally, the 93-year old told the news provider she dislodged a button from her shirt and sucked on it to keep her mouth moist.
People coping with the aftermath of an auto accident and their families can access valuable resources through the Crash Survivors Network.
Her ordeal stunned the nation a decade ago when Tillie Tooter - then 83 years old - was trapped in her car after it had been rear-ended on a highway and fell into a swamp. Amazingly, the woman survived and has recently made a media appearance talking about her ordeal and how she has been able to thrive nonetheless.
She told NBC's The Today Show that she still drives and has embarked on a project speaking to seniors at Florida's retirement communities to "never give up hope."
"I don't dwell on [my physical problems due to the accident]. We live today, and I'm happy to be here," she told Meredith Vieira.
The most recent data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics suggests that 1.5 million Americans were injured in passenger car crashes in 2006.
Excessive speed and intoxication are considered by experts to be the main factors behind most of such accidents, and they recommend complying with local speed limits and refraining from driving after drinking alcohol or using drugs.
The use of seat belts is also a proven method to save lives during road accidents.
As for Totter, she survived on a piece of peppermint candy, a stick of gum and a cough drop. She also used a pair of golf socks to absorb rainwater and sucked the moisture out of them. Finally, the 93-year old told the news provider she dislodged a button from her shirt and sucked on it to keep her mouth moist.
People coping with the aftermath of an auto accident and their families can access valuable resources through the Crash Survivors Network.
