Tragedy struck the Simmons family of Washington State last Friday when their car drove off of a winding road last Friday and down a 200-foot embankment into a wooded area, striking several trees.
Forty-Seven-Year-Old Corey Simmons was killed in the crash, CNN reported, but his twin 4-year-old girls miraculously survived. The girls were able to unbuckle their car seats and escape the wreckage of the crash. They then climbed the 200-foot embankment back to the road, USA Today reported.
Trooper Heather Axtman, a spokesperson for the Washington State Patrol. told the outlet that the twin girls were immediately seen by an unidentified good Samaritan when they reached the side of the road. The Samaritan kept the twins in her car to keep them warm while she called 911 and then waited with the girls until paramedics arrived to take them to the hospital.
The girls received only minor injuries during the crash and were soon reunited with other members of their family.
“I have kids of my own and typically, kids are scared of the dark and the woods,” Axtman told USA Today. “They overcame these fears because they knew their dad needed help, and that is so heroic.”
“This story will stick with me because of the bravery and heroic actions of these little girls,” she added.
The outlet reported that authorities still do not know what caused the crash. Axtman said it happened in a rural area that was not well lit. Axtman told CNN that the father was not wearing a seatbelt when the car crashed.
KING-TV spoke to the mother of the twins, Esther Crider, who was surprised by what they had done. Crider’s daughter from a previous relationship, Rebecah, said the family wanted to thank the Good Samaritan who helped the twins after the fateful crash.
“We are so incredibly thankful, and we are desperately looking for who she is,” Rebecah Crider told KING-TV. “We would love to personally meet her and thank her.”
Axtman, however, said the Good Samaritan did not want to be identified.
The crash happened just a week after the family cut down their own Christmas tree for the first time, Esther told the outlet. She provided KING-TV with a photo of Simmons with the girls from that outing.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family after Corey’s unexpected and tragic death. So far the family has raised just over $13,000 toward their $18,000 goal.
“An unexpected tragedy has hit our family, leaving a sadness in our hearts,” the GoFundMe page says. “Family, friend and father to 3; 47 year old [sic] Corey Simmons was taken away from us to soon due to a car accident on Friday December 6, 2019.”
The page also says that Simmons was “an amazing father that loved his 3 children and step children,” who was “loud, fun and goofy.”
The page asks for help for the girls and Esther, who was described as “Corey’s Girlfriend/mother of the girls,” because of the loss of Simmons just before Christmas.
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