A missing Indiana woman, Brieonna Cassell, 41, was found alive after spending six days trapped in her car following a crash. Cassell, from Wheatfield, was discovered by a passerby near the Newton County Landfill on Tuesday (March 11). The vehicle was hidden from view, off the roadway, and Cassell had been trapped since Thursday (March 6) after she fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into an embankment.
Despite her severe injuries, including broken ribs, fractures in her arm and both legs, and dehydration, Cassell managed to survive by using her sweatshirt to collect water from a nearby creek. Her father, Delmar Caldwell, explained that Cassell could hear cars passing by but was unable to call for help as her phone was dead.
"She was stuck in the car and could not get out," Caldwell told ABC News. "But she was able to reach the water from the car."
Cassell was conscious and alert when found, and she was flown to a Chicago hospital, where she remains in serious condition. Newton County Sheriff Shannon Cothran praised Johnny Martinez, the man who found Cassell, calling him a hero for his quick action.
"In my book, Mr. Martinez is a hero, and we can never thank him enough for his keen eye and quick action," Cothran said in a statement.
Cassell's survival is seen as a testament to her will to live, and her family is grateful for the efforts of all those involved in her rescue. She is now recovering and in "good spirits," according to her father.