Woman who survived crash with semi credits seatbelt for saving her life

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH/Gray News) - A Kansas woman is in the hospital, recovering from serious injuries after her car slid on ice and into the path of a tractor-trailer in a frightening crash.

Sarah Martin is thankful, despite her broken bones and totaled car. On Tuesday morning, her car slid on a patch of ice and into the path of a tractor-trailer on K-196, a road she regularly drives.

“I hit a black spot of ice, I think, because I slid over, and the semi was right there,” Martin told KWCH. “It flipped me over to the other side of the road.”

The crash ripped the roof off Martin’s car and turned it into a smashed heap of metal. She suffered serious injuries, including a shattered shin and a broken hip.

“I mean, half of my vehicle is pretty much gone,” she said.

She credits wearing her seatbelt for saving her life.

“I had my seatbelt on, so that’s kind of what saved me, I think. The seatbelt saved my life,” she said. “If I would have not been in a seatbelt, I probably would have been thrown out under the vehicle.”

While grateful to be alive, Martin says she has a long recovery ahead.

“I had to have a rod put in until the swelling goes down. Then, I have to have another surgery,” she said. “I also have a few broken ribs and just a lot of pain, lots of bruises and whatnot.”

Still, looking at her vehicle after the crash and knowing she’ll eventually recover, Martin summarized her situation with an optimistic outlook.

“Could be worse,” she said.

The truck driver involved in the crash was not injured.