‘I thought I was going to die’: Driver in viral Lowndes Co. crash video speaks out

VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - The woman behind the wheel of the car that drove up the back of a tow truck in a viral video out of Lowndes County said Tuesday the experience has been very traumatic since that day it happened.

“When I go to sleep that’s pretty much what I dream about. It just replays over and over,” Tanaijsha Bruton, the driver, said. “Nobody expected me to make it. Not even my family. They didn’t expect me to make it at all.”

Bruton was released from the University of Florida Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida on Friday. She spent over two weeks in the hospital, and most of that time was spent in the ICU.

Bruton said she feels like all of the blame has been placed on her for the incident but feels both sides were wrong.

Bruton was in critical condition for much of her time in the ICU. She says she had at least four surgeries for internal injuries. She says she doesn’t remember much, but she knows she’s blessed to be alive.

“I’m just grateful that throughout all the surgeries, I’m still here, and able to see another day,” she said. “I thought it was over. I blacked out. I don’t really remember much, but I know that I thought I was going to die, and it hurts. It hurts really, really bad. I felt everything.”

She continued with how she found out about the crash video’s social media attention.

“My family didn’t want to show me the video, but of course, I’m hardheaded and got on social media,” One of my friends mentioned me in the video and said ‘oh this is you,’ and I was like this me?! This my car?!”

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