Pregnant Georgia Woman Rescued From Mangled Car

Emergency responders work to pull Taneka Grace out of her mangled car off Interstate 75 in Morrow, GA. Photo Courtesy Morrow Police Department.

A pregnant woman is recovering today after the quick-thinking actions of firefighters and police who worked together to pull her out of her mangled car.

The accident happened Wednesday in Morrow, Ga., 15 miles south of Atlanta, when the woman was driving a silver Toyota on Interstate 75. Just before the Jonesboro exit, her car flipped over, sending her vehicle flying through the air and over another car also traveling on I-75. The turbulent ordeal finally ended when her car came to a stop on a set of railroad tracks.

"The car was airborne and literally drove over the other car and continued airborne as it finally rested on the tracks," said Capt. James Callaway of the Morrow Police Department. "In my 18 years with law enforcement, this is one of the strangest motor accidents I think I've ever seen."

Morrow police have identified the pregnant driver as Taneka Grace. The driver of the other vehicle involved is identified as Melissa Stenson and the passenger is Randolph Vaughn.

Callaway responded to the scene seconds after the emergency call, which was placed by his lieutenant, who witnessed the crash. When he arrived, Callaway said Grace was incoherent but conscious.

When first responders arrived on the scene, they noticed gas leaking from the undercarriage of Grace's car as it rested on the train tracks.

"She was visibly in pain and our first intention was to get her out of that car," said Callaway. "We contacted the railroad company and told them to stop all railroad traffic in the area."

As onlookers watched, Callaway and members from the Morrow Fire and Police department worked to free Grace from the car while making sure no one else was in danger.

She was taken to Atlanta Medical Center, a trauma center. While Stenson and Vaughn were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.

Grace remains in serious condition. Stenson and Vaughn have both been treated and released, according to the Morrow Police Department.

Police investigators met with Grace inside the hospital on Thursday to get a statement from her as they try to figure out what led to the bizarre crash.

"We're still looking into what caused the crash. It's going to be a very hard investigation," said Callaway. "We need to determine speed and actual cause."