Ever came across a situation so frightening that all your senses literally go numb. You are not able to think and act. You are confused about the strange chaos and life seems to approach a dead end. It is the moment when your blood runs cold and you can't think of what to do next.
Something similar happens when Brandie - the mother of two daughters, steps out from the car to help the people injured by a car crash. And what she sees next is a strange looking horrifying man forcibly gets into her car in which her two daughters aged 12 years and 7 years old were sitting. He locks in the car and did not seem to have good intentions. While she being the mother couldn't do anything to save her daughters, her elder daughter took the situation in her hands and did the unthinkable.
She saw the man coming towards their car. But she did not anticipate that he would unlock the doors and sit in the one. She was scared. Her mother was at a distance and she and her younger sister were all alone in the car. And now they were locked with a stranger and oddly scary looking man. What was the man up to?
Maddie and Mollie were perplexed. They could not figure out why has the man barged into their car. Brandie rushed towards the car to look into the matter, but the man already paved his way into the car. Maddie after being baffled for a few minutes acts on the situation to save her younger sister and herself from the unpleasant.
It was a holiday that day, and a pleasing weather made it the perfect day to go for a picnic. The sisters have been asking their mom to take them to the amusement park at the Easter weekend, and so there it was. Maddie and Mollie along with Brandie dressed in the T-Shirts reading Family Day and were all set to leave.
Brandie took the car out from the driveway, and Maddie and Mollie excitedly hopped in. They were very enthusiastic about this trip. All they were talking about on their way was which ride would they bump into first. Brandie was overjoyed to see her daughters this happy. Little did she know that their happiness was timebound that day. They were driving towards the uncertain.
The trio of mom and daughters were driving to the amusement park, Williamsburg, Virginia. Mollie being the youngest couldn't control her excitement. And all she asked Brandie in every now and then was "Mom, how long will it take us to reach there"? Unfortunately, even the mother didn't know that they will never be able to make it to the amusement park.
They were passing by J. Taylor Highway when Brandie saw that a car has managed to bang into the greens. Being a holiday, the highway was empty and no one was there to help the people who must have been injured in the crash. Brandie couldn't drive through like that and she decided to lend a helping hand to the poor passengers. A helping hand that cost over her daughter's life.
Brandie found a man who had a minor head injury. She immediately rushes toward him with a first-aid box she carried from her car. On reaching the man for help, Brandie dials 911 to call for some more help. As she turns back to the bleeding man, she was shocked. The man started running towards her car. Wait, what? Did I see it right?
Brandie was taken aback by the sight of the assumed-bleeding man running towards her car. A chilling spine ran through her body when she saw him running. She was so baffled that instead of running behind him, she just prayed that he did no harm to her young daughters. She started screaming "Maddie beware, Maddie beware!'
Hearing her mom scream and finding a strange man running towards their car, Maddie immediately close the windows and locks her car from inside. The 12-year-old was frightened. She asks Mollie to sit down and earnestly waited for her mom to come soon.
The day was an unfortunate one. The man broke the car locks and the car was unlocked in a second. Brandie started to run as well, but before she could manage to reach out to her daughters, the stranger was already sitting on the driver's seat and was mumbling the frightening.
The looks of the man were enough to leave the girls petrified. Maddie recalls that the man was of strong built and looked shabby. He had an overgrown beard. The moment he sat in the car, he started mumbling “He was saying all these things like, ‘Let’s go’ and ‘I need to get to this place,"
Maddie knew that this man was not having the right intentions. It was very clear from the manner he broke into their car. Brandie could not reach the car, and the girls were all alone in this locked car with a stranger, a stranger who just did not seem right. What was written in their destiny that day?
Mollie held Maddie's hand tight. The little girl was scared to wits. She began sobbing of fear. She looked at Maddie and mumbled, "Mom". Maddie too was frightened. The man had his hands over the steering wheel. Maddie knew she needs to do something to save her younger sister and herself from the unknown.
Seeing Mollie panicking this bad, Maddie knew that she would have to maintain her calm in order to stay strong for her sister. She took a deep breathe and help Mollie's hand tightly. Just then the elder one of the duo recalled what they have been taught to do in a crisis like that.
Mollie and Maddie belonged to the family of brave men. They were brought up by policemen and firefighters. The members of their family had seen all such obstacles in life and have even taught their daughters how to brave them. Bravery ran through their veins. And just then she knew what is to be done.
One thing that Maddie knew was that she needed to distract the stranger from driving away the car. She immediately began to bite the man on his arm and she somewhere succeeded in diverting his attention from the steering wheel. Seeing her even Mollie followed her.
When the girls realized that this was not helping them much, Maddie undo her seat belt and began punching him. But unfortunately, the man was so huge inbuilt that the little girl's effort went in vain. However, the little Mollie continued to irritate the stranger and in the meantime Maddie's brain took over.
Maddie recalled that there is a special safety feature in their vehicle. If the car was slided into the driving gear it wouldn't even let the engine start. She was sure that the weird looking man had no clues to it and she did the much needed. However, she had never expected that happened next.
Even in her wildest imagination, Maddie have not thought that she would have to take the risk of mendleing with the gear of the cars without her mother's supervision. It was a risk she was about to take. She without being caught by the stranger shut down the gear to the drive mode. And next what happened was astonishing.
Next momet, Maddie again starts to hitand bite the man. She even dugged ger nails in the man's arm. And shout,ed "Mollie run!" Mollie immediately unlocks the car and open up the door and ran towards her mom. But Maddie was still struggling.
By then Maddie was so lost in beating and biting the man that she did not realize when did her sister unlocked the door and managed to escape. She continued to irritate the man. However, how will she be able to get herself out from the trouble that she had landed in.
The moment Brandie saw Mollie coming running towards her, she was happy. But soon only realized that her elder daughter was still their fighting. The horrified mother screamed for Maddie. She shouted, "Maddie Get Out".
While Maddie was struggling with the man, finally the police had arrived at the scene. Thankfully, Brandie called 911 back in time, and she could save her elder's daughter life. Brandie was amazed by the courage that Maddie had shown that day.
Finding the policemen at sight, the man had no other choice than accepting his defeat. He knew the girls had managed to escape and he was caught red handed. And, the policemen easily recognized this man.
The starnger and odd looking man was Paul Salsman, who was a 21-year-old guy. He had already attempted to steal cars in that area and have miserably failed to do so in his last three attempts. Every time he manged to escape, but this time he was caught.
The officers called Maddie to know how did she manage to fool such a strong man, the little girl said, "All I knew was that, he is a pyschopath and he needs to get out of the car". She recalls that she was totally clueless initially but also knew that she has to get the man out.
Paul was held guilty for his acts. He was chrged under carjacking, a hit and run case and for driving under the influence of drugs. The authorities also appreciated the little Maddie for her immense courage and bravery. Though the girl showcased a brave side, she suffered from some injuries in the course.
Maddie while attacking Paul, unknowingly broke a growth plate in her bone. The bone is a sensitive one and needs time to heal. Despite being in pain the girl's courage was not harmed and she managed to save her sister's life.
One question that ran through everyone's mind was how did a girl only twelve i age managed to catch hold of a man who was quite big in size. And when asked the same from her, Maddie had the simplest yet a very logical reason. A reason that had roots to her hobby.
Maddie was a horseback rider. She had always loved riding them. She says that when she could control her ride when being on a 1500 pound weighing animal, sh knew Salsman was nothing in front of it. Bravo Girl!
This tale of Maddie's bravery was shared online. And people were completely blown away with the little girl's courage. Her instinct to act on foot to save the life of her sister and herself stole many hearts. She was praised everywhere for her courage.
When Brandie was asked to comment upon the incident, even she could not stop praising her daughter. Brandie said that she proud of Maddie. While she herself was shocked and blank in that situation, she didn't know how to act, her daughter did the incredible.
When asked in an interview that wasn't Maddie herself was scared in that situation, the girl had the most honest answer. She said, "Yes, I was scared, but I knew that Mollie was more scred. Had I lost the calm, she would be more panicking". Yet, it wasn't all she had to say.
When asked, what advice would Maddie give to other girls, G0d forbid they ended up in a similar situation, the girl's courage spoke. She said that all one should do is "Fight Them, Don't Hold Back. Just Fight".
Since that day, Maddie is praised and recalled for her bravery. Rather people started quoting her as an example when it came to showing courage and bravery. Undoubtedly, for a girl who is equally bas young as her younger sister, to do something like this was too brave. Kuddos to Maddie.