One of the scariest thoughts for many mothers and fathers is getting into an accident where your children are in the car. Sometimes, these situations happen when you least expect it, and in the instance of Wilkinson’s family and their car accident, this reality became all too real.
The Wilkinsons were driving home one night from a sporting event at the academy sports complex when then took a right turn at an intersection. Before the family knew it, they had been slammed hard by a fed ex truck and their SUV was sent flying through the air. The T-Bone collision shook the family to the bone and totaled their car.
The Fed Ex truck driver had blown the red light and had smashed into the unexpecting family at a high rate of speed. The car was now upside down and the family was struggling to get their bearings. As the family climbed out of the car, 10-year-old Grayson Wilkinson knew that it was only a matter of time before things got bad. Fearing that the car may catch fire, he did the unthinkable: he ran back to the car and reached through the shattered moon roof to help his 14-month-old brother.
“I undid the seat belt and climbed through the roof of the car and with this arm, I held him up and with my other arm, I undid the latches and got him out,” Grayson explained while showing off his arm that is currently wrapped in a bandage.
Many people who had witnessed the accident from a nearby restaurant rushed to help the family as well. Once all of the members of the vehicle had been safely pulled from the SUV and brought to safety, a medical team came to assess the health of everyone involved.
The community is now coming together to celebrate the bravery of the young man who put his life on the line to protect his innocent and helpless brother. One officer even wanted to give Grayson his badge, honoring him as a hero to the community for his efforts in saving one of his own.
“It’s incredible, the maturity shown by 10-year-old! But, anybody who knows his family knows that’s just how they are,” said Attorney Matt Green who is representing the Wilkinsons. “You can see the trauma is permeating the family.”
We are very happy that Grayson stepped up when he did to help save the life of his little brother. With people like Grayson growing up, this world will be a much safer place for everyone.