Good Samaritan seriously injured while assisting driver after crash

HOPKINTON, R.I. (WPRI) — Ashley Taunton could've kept driving after witnessing a crash on I-95 South over the weekend. Instead, her husband Joe Taunton told 12 News, she did exactly what he expected her to do. The mother-of-three pulled over to check on the driver and his passengers. "She jumped into action right away," Joe explained. Jamie O'Rourke said her 19-year-old son Vinny was driving home during Saturday night's storm when he lost control of his car and veered off the highway in Hopkinton. "He hydroplaned on a big puddle and it sent him into the woods," O'Rourke said. O'Rourke said Vinny and his friends, who were also in his car at the time, only suffered minor injuries in the crash. Ashley made her way down to Vinny's car and began pulling them to safety. "She had one of the boys out of the car, and I believe another car hydroplaned and came at them," Joe said. "She threw the boy out of the way and took the impact of the car." The 42-year-old was seriously injured and rushed to Rhode Island Hospital. "She's been through three surgeries already," Joe said. "They had to remove sections of her small and large intestines. They also had to repair her diaphragm, which ruptured." O'Rourke described Ashley as being her son's guardian angel. "She was so courageous to put herself in danger," O'Rourke said. "Now she's hurt and it's heartbreaking." Ashley being in the right place at the right time is a strange twist of fate for O'Rourke since the women aren't strangers. In fact, O'Rourke said she's been friends with Ashley for years. "I couldn't believe that it was her," O'Rourke said. "She was the one that was there to guide my son to safety." While the odds may seem nearly impossible, Joe believes it was a higher power at work. "It's nothing short of a miracle, an act of God," Joe said. "It's no coincidence, that just doesn't happen." Though Ashley remains hospitalized and has a long road to recovery ahead of her, Joe said she is awake and coherent. Meanwhile, a Meal Train has been organized for the Taunton family. So far, volunteers have signed up to cook more than three weeks worth of meals for Joe and their three children. Those who don't want to join the Meal Train but want to support the family can do so by making a monetary donation or purchasing a gift card. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app.