An 18-year-old woman from Sallisaw is recovering after a crash on Interstate 49 led her to fall roughly 40 feet from an overpass in a split-second decision to avoid a tractor-trailer.
Arkansas State Police reported the incident occurred just before 3:45 a.m. on Dec. 28 near mile marker 32. Malora Stites lost control of her vehicle, which became disabled and blocked both lanes of traffic. After calling 9-1-1, Stites stepped onto the shoulder to warn oncoming drivers.
According to Stites, a semi-truck approached dangerously close, prompting her to grab the concrete barrier and jump over it, not realizing the drop below was about 40 feet. She landed on Doyle Road beneath the overpass.
Emergency responders transported Stites to Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, and she later underwent surgery at a Springfield, Missouri hospital. She suffered multiple broken bones, including injuries to her back, rib, pelvis, and sternum, but Arkansas State Police say her injuries were serious yet not life-threatening.
Doctors have told Stites she is expected to walk again with time. She currently uses a wheelchair and a back brace.
“I would never have thought, leaving that night, that the next time I came home would be in a wheelchair,” Stites said. “There was a really high chance that I couldn’t even walk again at all ever. And I’m really grateful that I can.”
Her story has gained widespread attention online, including a TikTok video that has been viewed more than two million times, with many calling her survival miraculous.
“You realize how quickly everything can change, because you never think something like this is going to happen to you,” Stites said.
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