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FORT WORTH, Texas -- A mother and her toddler died after becoming trapped inside a sinking vehicle that had crashed into a pond, police said.
According to police, the force of a collision sent the car through a fence and into the pond at the Amelia Park Apartments in southeast Fort Worth.
The driver called 911 as her vehicle was sinking and told the police operator that she couldn't open the doors to her car.
Witnesses said the victims were underwater for about 30 minutes before divers were able to pull them from the vehicle.
The woman and her 22-month-old daughter were both pronounced dead at local hospitals.
'We really couldn't do much'
Nathan Brown, who witnessed the crash, said the car "took off straight into the pond" after it was hit by another vehicle.
Brown said he and his friend, John Piszor, jumped in to help.
"The car was sinking, just slowly sinking, but it was sinking fast enough to where we couldn't really do much," Piszor said.
Piszor said the car's doors were locked and they tried to break the windows.
"There's only so much you can do when you're swimming," he said.
The Fort Worth Fire Department said one of its crews and Forest Hill police that responded to crash were not able to free the victims.
Divers from the Fort Worth Fire Department later arrived and pulled the child and mother from the car.
The child was taken to Cook Children's Medical Center in critical condition, MedStar said. The mother, who was also in critical condition, was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital. Both were pronounced dead when they arrived at the hospitals.
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in texas, noone has a gun to shoot out a window? RIP...terrible...& sad
Why do I have this feeling that a cell phone of some sort is going to be involved, somehow.
Because you read the headline? Just goes to show the perils of using a cell phone while diving.
She was hit by another car, which caused her car to fly into the water. You're really gonna blame the victims here?
The cell phone was her last desperate chance at rescue...there is no suggestion that she was talking on it while driving at the same time.
Uhhh Heather and Cassandra, please read the linked story.
The mother who died RAN a stop sign with enough force and speed to continue forward motion into the pond.
Negligent, reckless driving AND excessive speed, as sad as this story is there's actually plenty of blame to be put on mom.
And once again the story is void of answers. Seems readers shouldn't have to investigate, searching for answers about a poorly written article. This article (at this time, without an update) makes it seem the other driver who hit her was at fault. Either way, so very sad for the little one.
That was a really horrible way to go for her, unable to save herself or her daughter... :(
Rest in peace...
There is a linked article, this is part of it.
They make a small tool that will break a window the instant you touch it. You can use a caribiner to attach it to your seat belt so it is always at hand.
If you live near water - buy one. Your life is worth more than the $14.99 it will cost for that thing
RIP to the mom and little girl, and lots of love and healing to their family and friends who are hurting now.
let this be a reminder to EVERYONE who has a car with power locks and windows - get that window breaker tool and something sharp to cut your seatbelt if needed, and place it in the car where you can access it if you are in an accident (console).
especially if you have children...
steve - you beat me to it.
thanks for helping spread the word. and even if you dont live near water, you never know where you'll be travelling and visiting and find you might need one!
NBC has substantially changed the impact of the story by eliminating that the driver was entirely at fault and likely on the phone at the time of the crash that directed her to the pond.
WilliamOfRites
Uhhh Heather and Cassandra, please read the linked story.
The mother who died RAN a stop sign with enough force and speed to continue forward motion into the pond.
Negligent, reckless driving AND excessive speed, as sad as this story is there's actually plenty of blame to be put on mom.
--------------------------------------------
Blaming a dead mother isn't going to do anybody any good.
It's sad that anyone had to die.
I am assuming that the windows in the car where still operational when she hit the water. I wonder if she thought to try and roll them down before the car sank to far. If they where not operational, that would be a good reason for car makers to add the ability to manually roll windows down just like my old 86 celebrity.
I understand that windows are hard to roll down by the time the car is almost totally under water, but the story makes me think the car went down slow enough for it to be possible to roll the windows down..
Murder-suicide. Your car is sinking, and you have enough time to sit still and call 911? Really? That was her "alibi".
Right. She's that good at planning and the laws of physics that she knew another car would come with the exact force and angle to propel her through the fence and hit that pond.
Yeah, Jake, because people planning on killing themselves worry about having a alibi. Maybe you should go out and reenact the scene for us.
Panic kills. Once he car fills enough to equalize exterior and interior pressure you can open the doors. If the car doors were locked you can generally still open the door from the inside.
Sorry for the family, horrible.
RKB555.... Yeah, say that in court...
No matter how many deaths, there's always is a place to park the blame.
hope i don't get in trouble for posting this link, but for under $10, you'd have a tool to cut your seat belt and break the window to get out of that situation... you can be out of your car faster than the time it would take to grab your cellphone and connect to 911.
and another note, if you're in a sinking car, do not try to open the door, if the car is deep enough, the door won't open, if it's not deep enough and you can open the door, your car will flood and sink faster...
Nirvash, you are incorrect. You have to open the door if you want to get out, period. Sometimes, the car does not have to entirely fill to open the door since the water coming it can in some cars compress the remaining air inside enough to equalize pressue with outside so you can open the door. Once rpessue is equalized you can open the door and escape. Wile you are waiting for pressue to equalize you can calmly help yourself and others out of their restraints and prepare for escape. Look for a flotation device if you can even a large water bottle can help you float.....
Just not enough time for the driver to get out of her seat belt, lift steering out of the way, turnaround on knees, reach in back seat release child from car seat, and get out. Especially while in a panic.
why would you wait for the car to completely fill up and to get out? the car will be underwater by then and would need to swim more?
Those who cannot open the door once it is in the water will need to wait until it is submerged to equalize pressure. They should be able to open the door at that point. The hammer being talked about is a "Lifesaver Hammer". It is a combination seat belt cutter and window shattering tool.
The hammer everyone is talking about is a great idea. Lets take it one step further why not (FORD< GM< TOYOTA) find away to atttach one as original equipment to all drivers seatbelts so it is always available in an incident like this. They are a lot cheaper than airbags.
Welcome to modern cars with electric door locks which don't work if the electric source is disabled and have no mechanical release. Your only chance is to bust out the windshield or rear window with your feet unless injured. A spring loaded center punch on the window or emergency hammer work only if you can get to it.
RIP,,I wish I could have help them. people need to learn this stuff.
Sorry for your lost friends and family,
So sad, condolences to the family of the victims.
All cars should come with a center-punch in the glove compartment. It will break a car window with one or two blows. Even a woman or a child can use it. Its just a pointy heavy steel rod. Hit the window with the pointy end. It will take out a window quiet easily. I have always had one in my glove compartment, just in case.
Good idea. Like the ones they have in railway trains here in the UK.
I imagine that in cars with central locking (most if not all today!), soon as the car electrics are shorted, the locks are inoperable. It should be law that if you manually pull up the lock on the door that it overrides the failed electric system and unlocks the door(s). Perhaps it is law?
It is quite possible that the doors could have been manually unlocked - the article didn't say. I suspect that the mother, in her panic, didn't try to unlock the door. Opening the door when the car is underwater is another issue.
The problem isn't the locks. If the car sinks down in the water quickly, you can't open the door because of the pressure/force of the water (air on one side, water on the other makes you actually have to move both the weight of the door plus the weight of the water on the other side).
That's the whole point of breaking the window. It's not so you can exit through the window, it's so you can open the door. Once water starts to fill up in the car and equalize the pressure on both sides of the door, then you'd be able to open the door.
Once the vehicle is nearly filled with water, the pressures will equalize and you can push the door open even without an open window. You have to remain calm enough to follow the air pocket until the vehicle is almost completely filled before you can open the door. That degree of level-headedness wouldn't be easy to achieve. It isn't the physics that kills people in this situation; it's the panic.
I would like to hear the 911 call because I am sure the 911 operator would have told her to roll the window down and stuff like that. I betshe did not know how to swim either. EVERYONE should know the basic swimming techniques because one never knows when you might come into contact with water.
So very sad and such a tragedy for the mum and toddler..Deepest sympathy to the family and friends of those lost. Blessings to all from across the Pacific....
That was so sad. Every husban, father, boy freind should teach is female freinds and realatives how to get out of a sinking car - its not that difficult.
In the time she wasted calling 911, she could have gotten out of the car, with the baby. It was a waste of human life for her to sit in the car, clutching the baby instead of taking steps to save her and the baby's life. Seriously, if I am in a dangerous situation - they first thing I try to do is get the screaming, hysterical people away from, so I can think of a way to get out of it. I was in a tense situation and my then girl friend was hanging on to me and screaming in my ear. It almost got both of us killed. I couldn't move, think or talk - she was out of control.
Yes - some of that 'social conditioning' rubbish bloody sucks, doesn't it?
Instead of talking on the phone could she not have donkey-kicked the window out, creating a chance to get her and her baby out of there?
You right,,if you wait on someone to help you,,you may die,,
Alex,, Be a boy scout !
Beoweolf, get some reading comprehension skills. She didn't just sit there and call 911, she told the police operator that she couldn't get the doors open. The door locks and windows were probably electric and they may have been disabled and jammed due to the accident. And not every one is strong enough to donkey kick a car window out. Give the lady a break - don't make her out to be some helpless idiot. I'm sure she tried everything she could.
It doesn't matter if the electric locks were disabled. Pulling the door handle will still open the door. That's the easy part. The hard part is having the presence of mind to know that the water pressure inside the car has to equalize to that outside before you do so.
The accident may have damaged the drivers side doorand once the car went under water there was likely too much pressure against the doors and windows to open them.
I'm surprised this hasn't occured to such a Mr Know-it-all like you. You really have no right to judge this woman.
There is an awful lot of victim blaming going on here. Typical, really, especially when the victim is a woman.
If the guy on the outside couldn't open the door or break the glass, why do you think she could have?
jango - because the guy on the outside was swimming, he had no ability to gain force.
that said, this article lacks evidence that she really tried much other than opening the door - which wasnt likely to open (as others have said) because of the pressure.
that said, we dont even know if she was pinned in such a way from the accident that she couldnt get out of her seat, rendering her incapable of "donkey" kicking the windows out...heck, even if she had a tool in her glove box to smash the window out, she might have been pinned in a way that prevented her from reaching her glove box.
keep the tool close, so that even if you are pinned, at least ONE arm can reach it.
Blaming the victim is exactly what we've been TAUGHT to do by our CONServative-controlled media. EVERYONE should be required to have enuff money in the bank so they never have to drive their own car or even HAVE a kid. Everything is the victims fault - you know, like the TP, Rush & Republicants have oft repeated about rape victims...
Beowoeolf, Do you know how many fathers, husbands and boyfriends die the very same way? I used to teach water survival in the military. I am the one who taught about pressure equalization. Guess what? I am a woman. So pack your superior attitude where the sun don't shine.
ARE you serious? Because we women all need men to tell us what to do and how to get by in life or we'd wander into traffic or swallow our tongues.
Shaydie: Right on Sister!
Sometimes prejudice is so ingrained we don't even realize we're doing it. Allow me please:
Every wife, mother, girlfriend, sister should teach male friends and relatives many things. (And that assumes that males should listen and be receptive). Communication is a 2-way street.
Something even our politicians could learn. Actually learning is a life-long process that can be quite enjoyable once one lets go of one's ego. Sometimes more difficult than it sounds. It seems it's always easier to judge and see when it pertains to another and not to oneself.
I think there are men out there that feel if they weren't here to steer or guide us we'd all wander around in a daze, shopping and eating cupcakes. LOL. That was one of the most sexist things I've ever read.
Idiot. Women are just as capable of taking care of themselves.
It's an old-school way of thinking, obviously, but it sounded like a sincere desire to help. Unintentionally insulting attitudes from yesteryear should be given much more gentle treatment that blatant sexism (or any other -ism). The societal changes of the last 50 years are staggering; give the intent behind the remark it's due consideration, and the old coot behind the remark the respect he has earned, just for having ridden the waves of those changes.
Doesn't "Hey, Gramps, women teach men that subject now! And wait 'til you hear: womenfolk are even driving those newfangled automobiles!" sound better than "Idiot!" ?
Yes - gang up and blame the messenger.
At least I assume that women are capable learning how to get out of a sinking car. While most of you assume its sexist to what - force women to call 911 and wait?. Obviously that didn't work and it should not come as a suprise eiither.
I'll admit to being grumpy - it comes from seeing too many women waiting for assistance - when common sense tells you it is imparative that you get out of danger first, immediately.... then worry about who to blame. Believe me ... in this series of comment, I'm the rational one, I believe some skills can be taught, among those teachable skills is the abiliy to think your way out of danger - if you calm down, assest the situation and do something.
Now that you are properly inscensed - take the challenge as a wake up call and learn how to get out of a sinking car!
I'm the same "Knucle-draggin'" kind of Dad who would send his daugther to martial arts training - to go with her desire to take ballet ... as a package deal. My money - my rules.
Apparently Russian American girl had it right. Some brains are too far gone to hope for any intelligent, original thought. Calm down sweety, you can keep your money and your self inflating fantasies intact. Just try to pipe down when adults are speaking.
Calm down paramed? The only people that need to calm down are the ones turning well meaning comments into sexist statements based on their own biases and defensiveness. And UNDERSERF this is not a political issue and I don't know what news you are referring too but the only national run media is most definitely NOT CONSERVATIVE! It is what it is and the only thing we can do as ill informed observers is to try and learn something from this tragedy. It certainly won't be the last one!
Good idea about the punch in the car so you can break the windows to get out. But that requires awareness, self control. If her first thought was wait for help - she was not even thinking about ways to save herself.
In the netherlands, they start teach grade school kids how to get out of sinking or submurged cars. They still have people who lose it - in an emergency and end up drrowning. Some people lock up in an emergency or under stress. Its the same old Deer in the head lights thing - all a deer has to do is move to one side or the other, instead - they just stand there. Its the inaction that gets uoi killed - in an emergency - even a bad decision is better than doing nothing. You can learn what doesn't work and maybe try something else to save your own life. But standing there doing nothing only works when you are lost in the woods ... and you know someone is looking for you, if not - then pick a direction and start walking, start a smokey fire - do something!
How do you know what she was thinking? Of course she was thinking of ways to save herself and her daughter.... Have you ever been in that position? Trapped, with your child, in a sinking car? Its easy for you to sit comfortably in front of your computer and place blame...and run your mouth...... you have NO idea what you are talking about. Frankly, from the tone of your posts you aren't old enough to make any comments with any kind of experience behind them....that or your are just terribly immature.
She obviously was not thinking or paying attention or she would not have ran the stop sign in the 1st place. They will be checking her phone out, just like they do with everyone else who are car accident involved with cellphones. Get off your phones while driving people, because Tex-ting and speaking on the phone distracts you and is = to drunk driving!!!!!
Well, according to the article that I read, while she was 'waiting for help' she tried to open the doors and break the windows. Self preservation doesn't have one simply watching the water rise for 30 minutes and then hold your breath.
Let the investigation determine why she swerved into the other driver's way. She could have been distracted, or she could have had car trouble.
But in the meantime, let's everyone pile up on the dead woman. How dare she die a tragic death. Let's all stone her.
There. is. no. god...
This was just so freaking horrible to read. I hate to know horrific things like this happen to people everyday. I can't even freaking fathom what it would have been like to be this poor terrified woman looking at her little baby daughter and knowing they are going to die. It's absolutely heartbreaking.
A waste of precious life.
Why does a woman with the precious life of her little baby daughter with so much life, experiences, and joy to live together have to die? Why does her devastated family have to live on in agony?
Because she made horrible choices. An accident is an accident. She chose to drive in a way that caused an accident. Unresponsible parent. And as far as your "there.is.no.God" statement. Really, you think He will stop every accident, illness etc. on this earth? If so, then this would be called heaven, not earth. And NOT ALL people are going to enjoy the reward of heaven. This is the test.
Anything you wrote after your God headline is irrelevant...because you have shown yourself to be a childish attention wh***. Shame on you for using this tragedy for your pathetic need for attention.
grmasissa: Running a stop sign can be just an accident, not a sign of reckless driving or bad parenting. For someone who seems to believe in God so much, you're awfully judgmental...which is typical.
Not everyone who believes in God is judgmental.
I agree...running the stop sign could have been an accident, not wrecklessness.
I have ran stop signs before accidentally...and I thank God no one was hurt because of it.
Guess what world...people make mistakes, not everything that happens is malicious.
The driver called 911 as her vehicle was sinking and told the police operator that she couldn't open the doors to her car.
She tried escaping you freaking FOOLS!
So let me get this straight... God IS responsible for the "creation" of EVERY life, but ISN'T responsible for the death of EVERY life...? Biggest God loving hypocrites ever!
What I want to know is more about this vehicle that caused the crash. It says that "the car took off straight into the pond after it was hit by another vehicle." Did they get that person's license plate #? Because as much as we can wish the mom had somehow managed to get herself and her child out of the car, the driver of the other vehicle pretty much directly caused their deaths.
If you watch the news story it says the mom ran a stop sign. Sadly it was her own fault. The woman who hit her probably feels badly enough without people wrongfully blaming her. It almosts sounds like the mom was not well and that is why she could not get out of the car.
Just a few assumptions here, assuming that the other car left the scene, and that the other driver was at fault, really? Better clean the glass on your crystal ball.
Yes, I might guess "the mom was not well".
This is very tragic and I don't wish to make light of the situation, but I remember hearing a 911 call recording that went something like this:
Dispatcher: What is your emergency?
Caller: I'm locked in my car and can't get out.
Dispatcher: Look toward the rear of your door next to the window. Pull up on the lock doohickey, then pull on the door handle and push the door open.
Caller (after a few seconds): Um, okay, I'm out.
I'm going to bet this a 911 recording that won't be released because the dispatcher was probably quizzing the caller on the pond's address while the car was sinking.
Keeter, if there is water on the other side of the door, you can't just unlock the door and open it. It's the simplistic misunderstanding of physics the mother shared with you that makes things like this happen.
With water on the other side of the door, you would have to exert hundreds of pounds (or more depending on how deep the water is) of force on the door to get it open, a feat you likely could not accomplish either.
The window has to be lowered or broken to allow water to get in to the car to equalize the pressure before the door could be opened. The problem is, the water level inside the car might have to be pretty high, plus you have to have the presence of mind to keep calm, wait for the level to rise. Hold your breath, grab your kid, push open the door and then exit.
I'd say if you are in a car by yourself and know what to do, you likely could escape. Having your kids in the car makes that hundreds of times more difficult. Keeping them calm and instructing them to hold their breath and then getting both yourself and them out in limited amounts of time would require a heroic effort.
Have Any of you enablers ever heard of defensive driving?
At the risk of sounding like that Republican who tried too explain the difference between Rape, "Real rape" or fake rape (sellers remose) because the man forgot to call, send flowers the next day... I still believe very few collisions are "accidents". If your regular, normal driving style is following the car in frontof you is 10 ft behind his rear bumper - they claim it was an unavoidable "accident" when hit the car in front of you or read of 100 car pileups happening in sandstorms, blizzards ... then you likely hink my comment above - was aimed at blaming the mother not being able toget her self and her child out of a car.
Sorry Charley ... its not that hard to get out of a car which is sinking in a pond. There is a reason why airlines tell parents of children to put on their oxygen mask 1st. You are not helping your child if you ignore that advisory.If you are not awake, aware and functional - yes, you are contributing to fewer chances of survival. few people are able to hold their breath for much more a few seconds - let alone for a minute or more.
The depth of an ornamental pond is seldom greater than 10 - 20 feet. The you can escape, with your child - if you learn how to escape without assistance, it is not as if your car fell off the reservoir side Hoover Dam.
Sitting in your car - dialing 911 is stupid. Learning how to exit a sinking vehicle inceases your chances of survival much more than speed dialing fire dept or police.
When I said 'not well' I guess I should have just said 'under the influence'. I was trying to be tactful because the unfortunate person died, taking her child along with her. She was driving erratically and then was too stupid to unlock her doors or roll down her windows or use something to smash them out. She was either very, very stupid, or under the influence.
I get a sinking feeling when I read about such events, sad.
Aren't you supposed to immediately start rolling down your windows (before the electrical system fails)? Can you really open the doors once the car fills with water? These situations are so rare. It is hard to prepare for everything. Very sad.
Mythbusters has done real life testing on this twice. The car doors will not open until the car is completely full of water and the pressure equalizes. You need to get out the window by rolling it down before the car fills up or try not to panic and open the doors when the car is full of water.
Reading is fundamental... 2 gold stars!
Learning? ...Its a' good thing.
IF the other driver is found to be at fault send them to prison for life...but once again not enough info in the story...
Your bloodlust will have to wait another day as the linked story clearly indicates the victim driving was clearly at fault.
Mike, how can the other driver be at fault when the mother sped past a stop sign? That is just like going through a red light. She caused her own death and that of her daughter. I bet when they recover her cell phone they will find she was talking or texting when the accident occurred.
WilliamOfRites.....where do you see any bloodlust in Mike's post? Had the other driver been at fault then prison would certainly be called for...the loss of two lives. He did preface his post with "IF"...or did you not bother to read the whole thing?
The "mom" ran a stop sign with enough speed to continue into a pond after a crash.
Negligent driving combined with excessive speed never bodes well.
I think instead of being on the cell phone I would have been trying to escape with my child, where are the priorities here?
I agree with you. Most people keep a club in their car. She could have used that to break those windows.
Most people keep a club in their car?
I don't know ANYONE who does...and if they did...they'd probably keep it in the trunk.
Really, I have never kept a club in my car.
really? u don't? everyone i know does. just sayin...
Seriously, "where are the priorities here?" She was desperate and in a panic. Everyone thinks they'll be the person who acts like they do in the movies and saves the day. Until you're in the situation, you have no idea how you would react. Stop second-guessing this poor woman's priorities. Also, do you know how difficult it would be to unbuckle yourself and your child while the car is filling with water, make the perfect escape while holding your baby, all while remaining level-headed? And for all we know, she could have been injured in the accident and unable to move, or think clearly due to a head injury. Stop judging and condemning the victim.
Also, I don't know ANYONE who keeps a club in their car...
I thought all car door locks could be manually unlocked. I guess it's conceivable that someone who grew up in the age of electric door locks wouldn't think to unlock a door manually.
It wouldn't have done them any good without being able to either lower or bust a window because of the air and water pressure. It's next to impossible to open a car door under water unless water flows into the cab to even out the pressure.
It's likely that the accident caused the doors to jam and could not be opened.
In Rhode Island recently a car with 3 young women took a wrong turn and drove off a pier and was upside down in no more than 5 feet of water. All three died, they couldn't get out ! Don't be blaming victims, you don't know what will happen until YOU are faced with a situation !
So they actually died from "pier pressure"??
That is not even funny.
No Mark, that is funny...the deaths were tragic, but the comment is actually funny.
To be honest, I hope I do in a way that allows for some humor and let's face it, we all are going to die, there's no escaping it.
No sleepinsadie....that was not funny.... and we are not all going to die in such a horrific manner. Your lack of maturity is evident, how old are you?
Joking about our own, inevitable deaths is one thing. Joking about the deaths of mother and child in an accident like this is quite another. No, the comment wasn't funny, it was an insensitive joke made by a lout and excused by you.
Tragic and heartbreaking.
I carry a hammer in the driver side door to use in case of emergency.
I guess I never considered that, but it sounds like a really good idea now. I doubt my flashlight would provide enough force to break a car window.
It's amazing that a center point punch isn't standard equipment on all cars in a glove box pinned in ready for use. Doesn't take up much space nor add much weight nor costs. Car manufacturers don't care--profit rules.
It also should be standard teachings in any driving class on how to escape a sinking vehicle.
yes
Very sad...
Advice: Please, include in your cars a glass breaker and seat belt cutter
Sad, but why ddi she not just unlock the doors? Auto electrical systems do not normally fail just because they are hit by water - see many movies of cars sinking with the wipers still running and lights on. And even if the power locks were dead, you still have the manual buttons - if you have enough thought to use a cell phone, you can unlock the door or run the windows down. Sure, it's easy for us to armchair quarterback, but how many of us think about what we would do in some situation? A little paranoia can really improve your response time in an emergency!
Right - because movies are sooo accurate. Give me a break. And, as mentioned here numerous times, the issue isn't that the doors were locked (they may not have been) - it's the pressure of the water on the other side of the door that prevents you from opening the door. You have to wait for the pressure to equalize and then the door will open.
Also, the doors may have been jammed due to the accident.
very sad story. there had to be a rock somewhere to hit the glass with.
In my business, I have to break car windows everyday. We've had many that just won't break. I remember one car that no one could break. I invited every one to try. They used many different methods. We laughed at big guys, with big hammers trying. I bought a special tool, that is carried in all school bus's. Didn't work.
Today, I shoot them out. It's the main reason I keep a gun on my hip. AND ANOTHER USE FOR GUNS.
Added note: Tinted window are much harder to break.
What an interesting business you have, Mr. Tumbleweed.
"Okay, lil missie, jest grab yer kid and bend down reeeeeal low-like while I busticate yer winder with my .45"
A lot of people, when faced with a critical, life threatening situation tend to seize up.
Anyway, second guessing is entirely worthless for these two. Maybe someone will learn from this how to react if they are faced with a similar situation.
"Police said the vehicle was heading east on Collett Little Road when it ran a stop sign and collided with a car heading southbound on the Loop 820 service road. The force of the crash sent the car that ran the stop sign through a fence and into a pond at the Amelia Park Apartments in the 6100 block of Southeast Loop 820, police said."
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Mother-Child-Trapped-in-Submerged-Vehicle-After-Crash-179589651.html