18-year-old rescued after car hydroplanes off Hwy 288 and lands in ditch
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- An 18-year-old driver is okay after her car hydroplaned on the South Freeway and then landed in a ditch.
Shyla Smith told Eyewitness News that she was on the freeway at Reed Road around 11:20 p.m. when someone cut her off.
Shyla says she slammed on her brakes and her Ford Focus skidded off the road.
"And I was trying to brake, and I hydroplaned in the ditch. My life flashed before my eyes. I was scared," Shyla said.
Shyla called her mother, who rushed to the scene.
"My heart just stopped until I saw her wave. I saw her hand, and I knew she was okay. I was able to breathe," her mom Rochelle Smith told ABC13.
Another driver saw the crash and helped Shyla out of the car.
Her mom says in a way that she's glad her daughter learned this lesson, adding that she wants it to be a reminder to adjust how you drive on wet roads.
