Local woman was lucky to be alive after bizarre accident

Brenda Byrd was preparing for a trip to see the Thomasville Tigers play for the state title when a freak accident changed her life. She’s grateful to be alive and able to tell her story.

The old saying, “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” has a new meaning for Brenda Byrd. In a matter of seconds, Byrd’s life changed. Currently, Byrd says she praises God that she is alive because she realized her recent accident was an example of her own mistakes that could have killed her.

Byrd lives in the Sandflat community, off Dancer Lane. On Monday morning, May 13, Byrd was on her way to Jacksonville State to watch the Thomasville Tigers in the state baseball playoffs. Her family had rented an Airbnb to stay for two days and support the Tigers. Her last errand before meeting other family members in Thomasville was to take her dog to her sister, Cathy Phillips. Since it was a short walk to the Phillips’ house, Byrd didn’t bother to put on her seatbelt.

“That was my first mistake,” Byrd admitted. Usually, buckling up is the first thing she does before starting her car.

Byrd’s house has a long paved driveway that leads down to Dancer Lane, which runs in front of her house. As she drove away, she noticed that her back door was ajar. She slammed on the brakes, opened the car door, and attempted to close the back door.

Brenda Byrd’s car drove over 200 feet down an overgrown slope before coming to a stop. Byrd does not remember how she got to her car to get her phone. The engine was still running when emergency responders reached her and brought her back to Dancer Lane. The path to the car was later cleared when family members retrieved her car.

“That was my second mistake,” she said.

“I lost my balance, fell out and was dragged because I was holding on to the steering wheel. That was my third mistake.”

As the car rolled faster, Byrd let go of the steering wheel and was thrown under the car, chest up, the rear tire rolling across her pelvic area and then across her entire body.

“I saw the tire coming and was able to pull my head out of the way,” she explained.

The car rolled about 200 feet down an embankment overgrown with thick brambles, small trees, and brush. Byrd realized she needed immediate help and somehow managed to get to her car, get her phone, and call for help.

“I have no idea how I made it to my car,” she said. “I think I was in shock because I don’t remember crawling or walking.”

When Byrd’s brother-in-law, Van Phillips, picked up the phone, he heard only a faint voice saying, “Help me.” He and his wife, Cathy, called 911 and rushed to help. They fought their way through the thick brush to get to the car, which was still running. There they found Byrd, barely conscious and seriously injured.

When the ambulance arrived, paramedics carried Byrd in a sling through the brush to the dirt road, where they were able to rush her to Grove Hill Hospital. There, she was stabilized and then sent to USA Medical Center in Mobile.

What had started that morning as an exciting moment for her family to cheer on the Tigers together quickly turned into a nightmare that could have ended very differently.

Incredibly, doctors at the USA Medical Center found only a broken pelvis, three broken ribs and a dislocated collarbone. Even more astonishingly, not a single organ was damaged.

“I give all the glory to God,” said Byrd. “He protected me.”

Byrd also praised the care she received in Grove Hill and Mobile. After beginning treatment for her non-life-threatening injuries in the U.S., Byrd was transferred to Crowne Healthcare in Thomasville for rehabilitation on May 25.

“They took excellent care of me here at Thomasville,” said Byrd. “I couldn’t have asked for better care. They treated me like I was a queen.”

Byrd is in good spirits and is deeply grateful for the blessings and prayers of her family, church community and friends. This overwhelming support and encouragement has made her recovery much easier. At her last checkup, her doctor told her that the only long-term effect she may have is arthritis in her pelvic area.

Brenda Byrd is eager to share her incredible story with us because she knows she has experienced a miracle.

“I feel called to protect others from making the same mistakes I made,” Byrd explained. “I shouldn’t be alive anymore, so I want to share with you what God has done for me.”