Mom stopped by car crash to protect a 9-year-old girl. 35 years later, her daughter got emotional message
'She stopped her whole day to be with this little 9-year-old girl whom she didn't know...'
Jennifer McLaughlin lost her sister, 29, to a horrifying car accident in 1990, but somehow she survived, ABC 7 News reported on October 2, 2025. Years later, she said she doesn't remember much about the tragic night, except for the woman who stayed by her side after the terrible incident. Despite trauma, grief, and unimaginable loss, McLaughlin moved on, but she could never forget Rhonda Ray, the lady she could never thank for being there when the world felt too heavy. However, 35 years later, McLaughlin finally met Rhonda, and the years between vanished in a heartbeat.
"I don't remember seeing a single car that night. It was raining, and I don't even remember the ambulance pulling up, or any of it," said McLaughlin. While she, then 9, stood on the streets, looking for help, McLaughlin found unexpected support from Rhonda, a young mom who happened to be driving by that night. The kind lady noticed mangled cars, stopped her vehicle, and when she got out, she saw a doctor checking the driver, McLaughlin's sister, who sadly didn't survive. "I looked all over, and she was standing alone. She was wet. She was in shock, and she was shaking," Rhonda recalled. She knew she had to be there for the little girl at least till her parents came, and so Rhonda stayed by her side until McLaughlin's family arrived. For Rhonda, it wasn't a big deal, but little did she know what impact she had left on the girl. "I thought about Rhonda throughout my whole life. Every time I told people my story, Rhonda was always part of it," McLaughlin, who moved away from Orange County for nearly 20 years after joining the military, said. In fact, every time she returned and drove by the accident spot, she couldn't help but think about Rhonda.
However, once when McLaughlin was in town, she decided to try and connect with Rhonda. McLaughlin posted her story on Facebook, and luckily, social media helped her recognize Rhonda. "I just wanted to say 'thank you' and give her a hug and say, 'You helped shape a little bit of who I am,'" McLaughlin said. Meanwhile, Rhonda's daughter, who saw the post, commented on it, and that's how McLaughlin met the lady who supported her during the emergency. The duo first interacted on a call before meeting each other in person."(Jennifer) called me, and as soon as I heard her voice, we were both crying. I was so happy she's ok, and is such an amazing human being," Rhonda said. On the other hand, McLaughlin, who would never stop honoring Rhonda for what she had done for her, said, "She didn't have to stop. She didn't have to go to the hospital with me. She stopped her whole day to be with this little 9-year-old girl whom she didn't know, and that's what I've spent my life trying to be, and that has been ingrained in me since I was a child, to be a good person, to be the helper."
Road accidents have been on the rise, and sadly, not many bystanders come to help the victims. A 2023 study published in the Wiley Online Library examined this and found that in 68% of accidents, the bystanders did not take any action; in fact, they just watched the scene. But why? Well, the study found that most stay away from helping because they fear getting involved in the matter. Now this makes Rhonda special. When she saw a 9-year-old standing on the roadside after an accident, she didn't think about anything else but the little girl's well-being.
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